...And here's why. If you have the time, Read This relatively short article about the coup in Chile (September 11th, 1973) . As the daughter of a Chilean political refugee, this day is always a bit of a sad day, as I know it is for every other Chileno / Chilena out there.
So if one of us happens to be close by you at any particular time today, a hug is in order.
Last year, I accidentally stumbled across an artist's website that truly blew my mind.
His name is Fab Ciraolo and he happens to be a fellow Chilean (bonus!).
He takes some of your favourite icons from the past and brings them back to life in the 21st century.
Honestly? This guy's work is my latest obsession.
Check it out.
Amazing, no?
If you're interested, you can find out more about Fab through his website, tumblr, twitter and facebook page.
Yes, he sells prints and clothing featuring his painfully cool works or art (JOY!).
I've got my eye on a Frida Kahlo tank....
Every 18th of September, Chileans across the globe celebrate what was the beginning of the independence of our country (September 18, 1810).
One of the most famous wines from Chile
Today, Chileans everywhere will be eating traditional food (empanadas please!), sharing a glass or two of vino tinto (red wine) and dancing till long after the sun has set (maybe a cueca - if we've had enough to drink).
Just picked up these empanadas today. Mmmmmm...
There were a bunch of Chilean parties celebrating 'El Dieciocho' last weekend, and I'm sure there will be even more this coming weekend. A few friends and I stopped by a shin-dig last Saturday, and I have to say, I was thankful for the Chilean cueca dance lessons my parents forced me to take when I was young. You might be asking yourself, what exactly IS a cueca? Well here ya go...
In between all our eating, drinking and dancing, we even managed to participate in a cueca dancing contest towards the end of the party. While none of us actually won, it was hilarious to see what dance moves we remembered from our childhood.
**Note: Most of us Chilean kids (growing up in Canada) were forced to go to 'Chilean school' on Saturdays. We were also "encouraged" (aka: forced - again) to spend at least 2 nights a week practicing folkloric dances with the dance groups our parents would "encourage" us to join. Believe it or not, my mother actually found an old VHS tape (ACK! OLD!!!) of one of my 'performances'. This video will never, I repeat, NEVER see the light of day.
At the time, all of us kids hated spending our precious free time in 'Chilean school' or in 'Chilean dance groups'- but it's pretty safe to say that now we can look back and be incredibly thankful that we had the opportunity to learn about and maintain our cultural roots... even if it wasn't by choice. **
So if you have any Chilean friends, tell them to have a 'Feliz Dieciocho!!!'... and then tell them how much you looooove Chilean wine. Maybe if you're lucky, they'll invite you over for a glass or two, and once they've had a few drinks, maybe, just maybe, they'll dance a little cueca for you (Gad forbid!).
When most people think of September 11th, they think of New York, terrorists and the twin towers. A horrible and devastating tragedy.
The
sad thing is, there's a heart-breaking tragedy that happened on
September 11th, back in 1973. Not a lot of people talk about it, but
they should.
Tuesday, September 11th, 1973, a coup
d'etat organized by the Chilean military and funded by the US government
took place. Democratic President Salvador Allende was assassinated. The
military took over the government a dictatorship ruling
began. Left wing supporters were hunted down and beaten, arrested,
tortured or even killed. Can you imagine? Being tortured or killed for
your political beliefs?
My father was one of those left
wing supporters who was arrested and tortured. To this day, he's never told us exactly what happened to him, and to be quite honest, I don't think my heart could stand to truly know. Luckily, my father survived an entire year in
prison. He was released and the beautiful and amazing country of Canada welcomed him with open arms, as a political refugee.
My
dad was one of the lucky ones. Hundreds of thousands of other people
weren't so lucky. They're called 'the disappeared'. Under cover right
wing supporters or military came knocking on the doors of people's homes and work, asking to
speak to various individuals. Many of these people would 'go for a walk' with military officers and were never seen again. To this day, no one
knows what happened to 'the disappeared.' Some theories are that these people were killed, their stomachs were slit open and
they were thrown into the ocean. There are other theories - some still
more gruesome - that I won't get into. Either way, the bodies of these missing people have never been found, and their loved ones will never have the answers they deserve, or the peace of knowing where the bodies of the missing now rest.
Sting wrote a song about this called 'They Dance Alone'. The song talks about the many people (mostly women) who have lost the ones they love and are left to dance alone...
I consider myself so incredibly fortunate to be the very first member of my family to have been born in Canada, and on every September 11th, I take the time to remember what happened in Chile, what the people of Chile have been through and how truly lucky we ALL are. I'll never underestimate the strength of the human spirit, and namely, the strength and determination of my father and mother.
Today, my heart goes out
to Chile and all the people who love the country.
Oh how I looooove Spanish music!!! If you love it as much as I do, like it, or are just plain curious about it, please feel free to check out the songs of the week. Explore, enjoy, and above all, SHAKE THAT BOOTY!!!!
Shakira & Alejandro Sanz ~ La Tortura. - A song about temptation and lusting after someone. (FYI: I've always believed that Shakira is meant to be heard in Spanish. Her tunes are so amazing. In English, she's kinda cheezy).
Julieta Venegas ~ Me Voy. - A song that says farewell to a relationship, whether it was your fault or not. Great tune!!!
Gloria Estefan ~ Mi Tierra. - Another artist who I find sooooo much more amazing to listen to in Spanish. Am I biased? Yes. Absolutely. This song talks about Gloria missing her homeland of Cuba. It's actually a really emotional and beautiful song... that you wanna salsa to ;D
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs ~ Strawberry Fields Forever. - Yup, it's a cover of the über famous Beetles tune. Before you click play, make sure you keep in mind that 1) this is a ska version of the song 2) it's half in Spanish 3) it's completely not what you expect. You're going to either love this or hate it. Me? I'm personally a HUGE fan!
Joe Vasconcellos ~ Las Seis - A fellow Chileno!!! Seriously, I go nuts when I hear his music. It's so Chilean. It's hard to explain it, but it makes me incredibly happy :). Note how the audience reacts. This should explain why I'm usually jumping around and dancing at most concerts... usually by myself. Fail.
My brother showed me these videos. This is from a Chilean show called 'Mi Nombre Es' (translation: My name is). Basically, people who believe they sound like famous singers show their talent.
This dude claims to sound like Eddie Vedder. It will BLOW YOUR MIND!!! The video of this guy singing is compared along side to the actual video of Senor Vedder himself. AMAZING!!!
What makes this even MORE amazing is that this guy doesn't speak a word of English! Believe it!!!
Check out Chris Cornell's reaction to this dude!
This one totally weirded me out. This guy calls himself 'Shakiro'. He sounds EXACTLY like... yup! Shakira!!! Do me a favour and close your eyes when you watch the video the first time.
So 'Shakiro' had a chance to meet the actual Shakira. Check it out!
When most people think of September 11th, they think of New York, terrorists and the twin towers. A massive tragedy.
The sad thing is, there's a heart-breaking tragedy that happened on September 11th, back in the 70's. Not a lot of people talk about it, but they should.
Tuesday, September 11th, 1973, a coup d'etat organized by the Chilean military and funded by the US government took place. Democratic President Salvador Allende was assassinated. The military took over the government and that's when the dictatorship began. Left wing supporters were hunted down and beaten, arrested, tortured or even killed. Can you imagine? Being tortured or killed for your political beliefs?
My father was one of those left wing supporters who was arrested and tortured. Luckily, after a year in prison, he was released and came to Canada as a political refugee. My dad was one of the lucky ones. Hundreds of thousands of other people weren't so lucky. They're called 'the disappeared'. Under cover right wing supporters or military came knocking on their doors, asking to speak to them, and then they were never seen again. To this day, no one knows what happened to 'the disappeared.' Some theories are whirling around that these people were killed, their stomachs were slit open and they were thrown into the ocean. There are other theories - some still more gruesome - that I won't get into.
So while the majority of the world mourned for New York yesterday, my heart went out to Chile and all the people who love the country.
Viva Chile <3
Besos,
CC.
P.S: If you want more info, just type 'Chilean Coup' into google. All the info is there for ya.
Here are some pics of this beautiful country. Enjoy.
