Quilapayún

Chilean music group

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July 19, 2026

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Quilapayún was a Chilean musical group formed in 1965, known for their role in the nueva canción movement. This genre of pan-Latin American popular music emerged in the 1960s and 70s, characterized by its fusion of rural traditions with a strong populist political message advocating for social justice.1

The group's music often featured traditional Andean instruments like panpipes and flutes, alongside the guitar. Their lyrics, frequently employing metaphors and rural imagery, aimed to raise social awareness and promote a sense of responsibility among their audiences. Quilapayún was associated with the influential nueva canción artist Victor Jara and, along with Inti-Illimani, projected a strongly Andean image. The group was forced into exile for 15 years during the Pinochet regime but returned to Chile in the late 1980s, continuing to perform internationally.1

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nueva canción
The formative years: the late 1950s through the ’60s
Those were Quilapayún (Mapuche language: “Three Beards”), formed in 1965 and for several years associated with Jara, and Inti-Illimani (Aymara language: “Sun of the Illimani [a mountain in the Andes]”), formed in 1967. Both groups projected a strongly Andean image.
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Those were Quilapayún (Mapuche language: “Three Beards”), formed in 1965 and for several years associated with Jara, and Inti-Illimani (Aymara language: “Sun of the Illimani [a mountain in the Andes]”), formed in 1967. Both groups projected a strongly Andean image.
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