National Geographic Music (National Geographic)

¡ EL CHE VIVE ! A revolutionary record. A musical tribute to one of the major characters of the century.

Nearly fourty years ago, in a Bolivian valley, Ernesto "Che" Guevara — fighting for Latin-American liberation — was captured and killed by anti-revolution agents. His tragic death gave life to one of the most important contemporary legends. Today, El Che is more alive than ever... and everywhere!

As a tribute to that essential revolutionary, we have collected traditional South American songs by some of the greatest Latino interpreters. A real part of history... a musical path to victory!

Che was born in Argentina in 1928. Following a trip through South America, this young doctor opened his eyes and discovered the inequalities of his continent. Later, in Mexico, he joined the forces of a young guy called Fidel Castro to liberate Cuba. Working daily to start a guerrilla between the haves and have-nots, he's still considered today as the Master of the Latin Revolution!

Thinker, cigar-smoker, poet, economist, soldier, humanist and traveler, El Che is definitely the modern icon of the 21st century adventurer and is more alive than ever. Since the day of his tragic murder in October 1967, young generations around the world have adopted his face as a symbol of freedom, wearing his name and features on T-shirts, flags and posters.

Today, many modern rock bands are singing the memory of El Che (e.g. Rage Against The Machine). But let the young ones built the future ! Our goal was slightly different: We just wanted to make a traditional musical tribute to El Che. So we went back in time, we travelled to South America and we gathered — with the care of a purist — the most famous songs composed and sung at the time of his death. In that record, you can hear standards (and some material never released in Europe) by the greatest South American artists: ATAHUALPA YUPANQUI, VICTOR JARA, CARLOS PUEBLA, DANIEL VIGLIETTI, SOLEDAD BRAVO, PATRICIO MANNS or ANGEL PARRA. Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Uruguay, sing along with Cuba. A new generation of musicians combines their talents with the established ones: MIGUEL-ANGEL FILIPPINI, MATIO, EGON y LOS ARACHANES.

It is — we think — the only way to follow that dear dream of El Che: this union of classes, of nationalities, of lands and of ages for which, one rainy and cold day in Bolivia, he gave his life.