Quilapayún are a traditional Chilean folk music troupe formed in 1965 who came to fame during the era of Salvador Allende and went into exile during the Pinochet dictatorship from 1973. Members have changed over the years and there was a major internecine conflict that led to two groups, Quilapayún Chile and Quilapayún France, until 2015.
Founding members were Julio Numhauser and brothers Julio and Eduardo Carrasco with musical director Angel Parra and they became known for performances of traditional Andean music. Numhauser and Julio Carrasco both left in the 1960s and Guillermo `Willy' Oddó became a key member until his murder in Sandiago in 1991. Victor Jara was musical director until he was killed by Pinochet's military in 1973.
Eduardo Carrasco, who plays various wind instruments and sings bass, leads the current line-up, which features musicians and singers Rubén Escudero, Guillermo García, Hernán Gómez, Ricardo Venegas, Hugo Lagos, Willy Oddó's son Ismael Oddó, Carlos Quezada and Sebastián Quezada.
Their eponymous debut album came out in 1966 and they have released many since, including: 'Basta' (1969) with the track 'La Muralia'; 'Vivir Como él' (1971); 'Adelante' (1975); `La Marche et le Drapeau' (1977); 'La Tevolución y las Etrellas' (1982); 'Survarío' (1987); 'Latitudes' (1992); 'Siempre' (2007); and 'Encuentros' (2013). Concert releases include 'Quilapayún en Chile' (1989) and 'Musica en la Memoria - Juntos en Chile' (2005); compilation recordings include 'Quilapayún Chane Neruda' (1983), 'Antologia 1968-1992' (1998), `La vida contra la muerte' (2005) and 'La fuerza de la historia' (2006).
