Víctor Jara (1932-73) was a legendary Chilean singer-songwriter and theatre director. Between 1966 and 1973 he released eight albums, including Canto libre and El derecho de vivir en paz. Following the US-backed military coup of 11 September 1973, Jara was arrested, tortured and murdered.
His Hands Were Gentle brings together, for the first time in both Spanish and English, the best of Víctor Jara's lyrics. They reveal him to be an ardent political poet, an eloquent advocate for the peasantry from which he came, a socialist visionary and a poetic balladeer of the highest order.
'For me, Victor was everything an activist- musician should be. He meant this to me: if you see something very wrong, then do something about it. Say something, sing something, write something. You can't stay silent. Speak about it with, above all, compassion and humour. Do anything you can, big or small, except stand back with your hands raised, disclaiming responsibility. He was one of the most important influences on my young mind and I shall always be grateful to him and always honour him.'
Emma Thompson, actress and screenwriter
Edited by Martín Espada with a foreword by Joan Jara and a preface by Emma Thompson
Translations by Eduardo Embry, Martín Espada, John Green, Joan Jara and Adrian Mitchell
Paperback £9.99 ISBN 978-0-9568144-1-8
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