Alobos Life (Photographer). (2014). Santiago de Chile 2014. Retrieved from flickr.com on March 8, 2021. Used under Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0).
Facts in Brief
Capital: Santiago
Official language: Spanish
Official name: Republica de Chile (Republic of Chile)
Flag: The flag of Chile features a white and red horizontal stripe, with a blue square in the left corner of the white stripe. A white star in the center of the blue square stands for progress and honor. The red stands for the blood of heroes, the white for the snow of the Andes, and the blue for the sky.
Coat of arms: The Chilean coat of arms features a deer and an eagle on either side of the country's official seal, and bears the motto By Right or Might in Spanish.
National holiday: Independence Day, September 18.
Form of government: Republic.
Image Citation: Country Flag (Chile), in Europa World online. London, Routledge. University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Retrieved 09 March 2021 from http://www.europaworld.com/entry/cl.FLAG
Text Citation: Monteón, M. (2021). Chile. In World Book Advanced. https://www-worldbookonline-com.proxy.lib.utk.edu/advanced/article?id=ar111040
Roberto Matta
Roberto Matta (1911-2002)
Matta was a Chilean-born painter of mysterious fantastic environments who lived his adult life outside his homeland and became identified with the international Surrealist movement.
Text Citation:Britannica Academic, s.v. "Roberto Matta," accessed March 9, 2021, https://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/Roberto-Matta/105339.
Image Citation: Autor Desconocido. (1960). Roberto Matta [digital image]. Retrieved from commons.wikimedia.org. Used under Public Domain.
LIsten to Living, 1941
Matta (Roberto Sebastián Antonio Matta Echaurren), Chilean, 1911-2002. 1941. Listen to Living. Painting. Place: The Museum of Modern Art, Inter-American Fund. https://library.artstor.org/asset/AMOMA_10312310675.
Years of Fear, 1942
Matta, Roberto, Chilean, b.1912. 1942. Years of Fear. Painting. Place: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City. https://library.artstor.org/asset/ABARNITZ_10310363440.
L'excitateur, 1957
Matta, Roberto (Chilean painter and printmaker, 1911-2002). 1957. L'excitateur. lithographs. Place: Wriston Art Center Galleries, Lawrence University, Appleton, WI. https://library.artstor.org/asset/SS35559_35559_26041813.
L'homme descend du signe, 1975
Roberto Matta. 1975, Image: 2011. L'homme descend du signe. https://library.artstor.org/asset/AWSS35953_35953_35420713.
Books from Our Collection
Patagonia by
Forming a vast triangle at the southern tip of South America, Patagonia is a landscape of barren steppes, soaring peaks, and fierce wind, inspiring generations of travelers and artists. From the empty plans to the crashing seas, from the giant dinosaur fossils to the massive glacialsculptures, Chris Moss introduces readers to Patagonia's dramatic landscape--a land that, like Siberia and the Sahara, has become a metaphor for nothingness and extremity. A vivid and accessible introduction to Patagonia's history and culture, this book follows a colorful cast of characters--fromMagellan and Darwin to mad kings, gauchos, and Nazi fugitives--as it evokes Patagonia's grip on the imagination.
Call Number: F2936.M88 2008
Travels in a Thin Country by
Squeezed between a vast ocean and the longest mountain range on earth, Chile is 2,600 miles long and never more than 110 miles wide--not a country that lends itself to maps, as Sara Wheeler discovered when she traveled alone from the top to the bottom, from the driest desert in the world to the sepulchral wastes of Antarctica. Eloquent, astute, nimble with history and deftly amusing, Travels in a Thin Country established Sara Wheeler as one of the very best travel writers in the world.
Call Number: F3065 .W44 1999
The History of Chile by
This book provides an up-to-date historical overview of this complex and fascinating country. Beginning with a survey of the land, people, and current government, the book then traces Chile's chronological story. Ten chapters detail Chilean history from the indigenous peoples to the democratic transition after the Pinochet dictatorship. Chile is more than 2,600 miles long but averages a width of only 110 miles. It contains the driest desert in the world, the highest mountain range in the hemisphere, temperate rainforests, and a piece of Antarctica. In all of these areas, Chileans have fashioned unique communities and, together, a vibrant nation. Chile's history mirrors its geographical variety. From its pre-colonial period to its days as a Spanish colony and its many independent governments, Chile has long been a land of crises and controversy. Yet it is also a land filled with valuable resources_most famously copper_that have yielded great wealth. The History of Chile provides an up-to-date historical overview of this complex and fascinating country. Beginning with a survey of the land, people, and current government, the book then traces Chile's chronological story. Ten chapters detail Chilean history from the indigenous peoples to the democratic transition after the Pinochet dictatorship. Also included are biographical sketches of notable persons in Chilean history, a glossary of selected terms, and a bibliographical essay that discusses the best sources for further reading. This is the perfect starting point for students and general readers interested in the history and people of Chile.
Call Number: F3081.R43 2003
Politics and Urban Growth in Santiago, Chile, 1891-1941 by
From 1891 to 1941, Santiago--Chile's capital and its largest and most important city--experienced rapid urbanization, industrialization, and administrative expansion along with a massive internal migration that had significant social and economic consequences for the city. This book is the first study to focus on this important period in Santiago's history. Drawing on a wide range of original research, the book describes the growth of the city, both demographically and physically, and highlights the role of the local administration in this process. Histories of urban politics are relatively rare for both Chile in particular and Latin America in general, and this study seeks to fill these gaps. Some of the topics covered include the impact of Chile's complex multi-party system on local administration, the role of corruption in the management of city affairs, the relationship between the municipality and powerful foreign interests, the emergence of economic nationalism, and the pioneering part played by women both as voters and as elected officials in the capital's governance.
Call Number: F3271.3.W35 2005
Photos from World Book Online
Santiago, Chile
Santiago, in central Chile, is the nation's capital and largest city, as well as a cultural, economic, and transportation center. The Andes Mountains rise east of Santiago. The Pacific Ocean lies about 90 miles (145 kilometers) to the west.
Santiago, Chile [Online image]. (2021). In World Book Advanced, https://www-worldbookonline-com.proxy.lib.utk.edu/advanced/media?id=pc367531
Torres del Paine, Chile
Chile has a varied and spectacular landscape. The interior of the country includes vast deserts, majestic mountains, and fertile river basins. Chile also has a rugged coastline.
Torres del Paine, Chile [Online image]. (2021). In World Book Advanced, https://www-worldbookonline-com.proxy.lib.utk.edu/advanced/media?id=pc037069
Chile's Central Valley
Chile's Central Valley is crossed by several rivers fed by runoff water from the Andes. The fertile soil of the river basins makes the Central Valley Chile's richest agricultural region. The region also has much of the country's industry and most of its population.
Chile's Central Valley [Online image]. (2021). In World Book Advanced, https://www-worldbookonline-com.proxy.lib.utk.edu/advanced/media?id=pc010237
Glacier in Southern Chile
Grey Glacier, in Torres del Paine National Park in southern Chile, is one of the many spectacular features of the Chilean landscape. The country also has vast deserts, majestic mountains, and fertile river basins.
Glacier in southern Chile [Online image]. (2021). In World Book Advanced, https://www-worldbookonline-com.proxy.lib.utk.edu/advanced/media?id=pc361075
Cattle Ranch, Patagonia, Chile
Ranching provides food for many Chileans. This photograph shows cattle on a ranch in Chile's Patagonia region. Snowy mountains rise in the background.
Cattle ranch, Patagonia, Chile [Online image]. (2021). In World Book Advanced, https://www-worldbookonline-com.proxy.lib.utk.edu/advanced/media?id=pc360138
Valparaíso, Chile
Boats are an important means of transportation for people and goods in South America. The cargo ships and fishing boats shown here are docked at Valparaíso, Chile’s leading seaport.
Valparaíso, Chile [Online image]. (2021). In World Book Advanced, https://www-worldbookonline-com.proxy.lib.utk.edu/advanced/media?id=pc323029
Literary Figures
Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957)
She was the first Latin American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Read her works: Gabriela Mistral Selected Poems - PQ8097.G6 A618 2006
Pablo Neruda (1904-1973)
He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971.
Read his works: Full Woman, Fleshly Apple, Hot Moon: Selected Poems of Pablo Neruda - PQ8097.N4 A255 2009
Online Language Learning Resources
- Mango Languages
An online language learning resource that covers over 70 languages. Courses are accessible from a web browser or app.
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- Tennessee Electronic LibraryCreate an account with TEL to access Transparent Language Online from their website. Find it in the right side bar entitled "Featured Resources."
Map of Chile
Image Citation: Country Map (Chile), in Europa World online. London, Routledge. University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Retrieved 09 March 2021 from http://www.europaworld.com/entry/cl.MAP
Folk Music of Chile
Music Books in Our Collection
Militant Song Movement in Latin America by
Latin America in the 1960s and 1970s underwent a profound and often violent process of social change. From the Cuban Revolution to the massive guerrilla movements in Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Colombia, and most of Central America, to the democratic socialist experiment of Allende in Chile, to the increased popularity of socialist-oriented parties in Uruguay, or para-socialist movements, such as the Juventud Peronista in Argentina, the idea of social change was in the air. Although this topic has been explored from a political and social point of view, there is an aspect that has remained fairly unexplored. The cultural--and especially musical--dimension of this movement, so vital in order to comprehend the extent of its emotional appeal, has not been fully documented. Without an account of how music was pervasively used in the construction of the emotional components that always accompany political action, any explanation of what occurred in Latin America during that period will be always partial. This book is an initial attempt to overcome this deficit. In this collection of essays, we examine the history of the militant song movement in Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina at the peak of its popularity (from the mid-1960s to the coup d' tats in the mid-1970s), considering their different political stances and musical deportments. Throughout the book, the contribution of the most important musicians of the movement (Violeta Parra, V ctor Jara, Patricio Manns, Quilapay n, Inti-Illimani, etc., in Chile; Daniel Viglietti, Alfredo Zitarrosa, Los Olimare os, etc., in Uruguay; Atahualpa Yupanqui, Horacio Guarany, Mercedes Sosa, Marian Far as G mez, Armando Tejada G mez, C sar Isella, V ctor Heredia, Los Trovadores, etc., in Argentina) are highlighted; and some of the most important conceptual extended oeuvres of the period (called "cantatas") are analyzed (such as "La Cantata Popular Santa Mar a de Iquique" in the Chilean case and "Montoneros" in the Argentine case). The contributors to the collection deal with the complex relationship that the aesthetic of the movement established between the political content of the lyrics and the musical and performative aspects of the most popular songs of the period.
Call Number: E-Book/Online Access
Historia de la musica en Chile by Call Number: ML233.C6
Chilean New Song by
Chilean New Song (la Nueva Canción chilena) entranced and uplifted a country that struggled for social change during the turbulent 1960s and early 1970s, until the 1973 coup that overthrew democratic socialist president Salvador Allende. This powerful musical style--with its poetic lyrics and haunting blend of traditional indigenous wind and stringed instruments--was born of and expressed the aspirations of rising classes. It promised a socially just future as it forged social bonding. In Chilean New Song, J. Patrice McSherry deftly combines a political-historical view of Chile with a narrative of its cultural development. She examines the democratizing power of this music and, through interviews with key protagonists, the social roles of politically committed artists who participated in a movement for change. McSherry explores the impact of Chilean New Song and the way this artistic/cultural phenomenon related to contemporary politics to capture the passion, pain, and hope of millions of Chileans.
Call Number: ML3487.C55 M37 2015
The Sweet Penance of Music by
A monumental study of musical practices in 18th century Santiago de Chile, and the only English-language monograph about Chilean colonial music, A Sweet Penance of Music offers a comprehensive view of musicians within the city and their links with other Latin American urban centers in the wider colonial system. Author Alejandro Vera, recent winner of the International Casa de las Am�ricas Musicology Prize for the Spanish edition of his monograph, provides a fascinating account of the quotidian cultural and social significance of music in varying physical spheres - from cathedrals, convents, and monasteries, to private houses and public spaces. He brings to life a city long neglected in the shadow of other colonial centers of economic power, asserting the importance of duality in the period and its music - particularly centering one nun harpist's conception of music as "sweet penance." Drawing from historical documents and musical scores of the period, A Sweet Penance of Music breaks new ground, laying the foundation for a revisionist approach to the study of music in the colonial Americas.
Call Number: ML3917.C5 V4713 2020
Claudio Arrau
Claudio Arrau (1903-1991)
Claudio Arrau was a Chilean pianist who was one of the most-renowned performers of the 20th century.
Image Citation: "Claudio Arrau, 1961." Grove Music Online. ; Accessed 9 Mar. 2021. https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-8000000315.
Text Citation: Britannica Academic, s.v. "Claudio Arrau," accessed March 9, 2021, https://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/Claudio-Arrau/9615.
Piano Lessons with Claudio Arrau - ML417.A8 A9 2014
- Available as an E-book or physical item.
- Request the physical item using the link above.
Great Pianists Speak for Themselves - ML397.M28 1991
Request this library book using the link above!
Claudio Arrau in Concert - DVD M21.C57 2002
Request this library DVD using the link above!
Read More About the Music of Chile Using These Encyclopedia Entries
More Online Databases!
- Cuarteto Latinoamericano Virtual LibraryLatin American works for string quartet, in PDF format. In the cases of those composers or publishers who have not relinquished their rights to free download, links are included for the purchase of materials.
- Latin American Women WritersProse, poetry, and drama composed by Latin American women from the colonial period in the 17th century to the present. Presents a tool for understanding the diversity and development of Latin America through a feminine perspective.
- ARTstor
This link opens in a new window
With more than 2 million images* (and growing), Artstor is a cross-disciplinary collection of rights-cleared images from around the world.
*Note: The number of images available varies by country due to copyright restrictions.
- Archives of Latin American and Caribbean history, sixteenth to twentieth centuryPrimary source documents about Latin America and the Caribbean. Topics include politics, economics, religion, culture, international affairs, the environment, science, and technology.
