Playlist for Thanks to Life: A Biography of Violeta Parra, by Ericka Verba
Here is a Spotify playlist of most of the songs discussed in Thanks to Life: A Biography of Violeta Parra (organized by chapter and in order of first mention). Note: All songs composed and performed by Violeta Parra unless otherwise indicated.
Yo canto la diferencia – I Sing the Difference
Songs performed by Las Hermanas Parra
Ya se fue el año viejo – The Old Year Is Gone
En el norte – Up North
Ven – Come Here (vals by Nicanor Casas Aguayo; actual title, “Ven, adorada mujer”)
Qué rica cena – What a Feast
La jardinera -The Gardener (performed by Las Hermanas Parra, with Isabel Parra replacing Hilda Parra)
Qué pena siente mi alma – How Sad Is My Soul (folksong)
Casamiento de negros – The Black Wedding
Violeta Ausente – Faraway Violeta
El gavilán -The Sparrowhawk
Verso por despedida a Gabriela Mistral – Poem of Farewell to Gabriela Mistral
Anticueca Nº 1 (o Fray Gastón baila cueca con el diablo) – Anticueca Nº 1 (or Brother Gastón Dances the Cueca with the Devil)
El joven Sergio – Young Sergio
La celosa – The Jealous Woman (performed by I. Parra, folksong)
La mariposa – The Butterfly (folksong)
La niña que está bailando – The Girl Who Is Dancing (folksong)
¿Para qué me casaría? – Why Would I Marry? [Yo soy la recién casada – I Am a Newlywed] (folksong)
El sacristán – The Sexton (folksong)
La muerte con anteojos – Death with Glasses On
Cuecas from the LP La cueca presentada por Violeta Parra (all folksongs, unless noted):
En el cuarto de la Carmela – In Carmela’s Bedroom (performed on voice and a large can)
La cueca del balance – The To-and-Fro Cueca (performed by I. Parra and V. Parra in unison style of rural women singers)
En la cumbre de los Andes – At the Summit of the Andes (performed by I. Parra and V. Parra in urbanized style of Las Hermanas Parra)
Cueca con harmónica – Cueca with Harmonica
Cueca del organillero – Cueca of the Organ Grinder
La cueca del payaso – The Clown’s Cueca (performed by a circus band)
La cueca larga de Meneses – Meneses’s Long Cueca (extract from La cueca larga by Nicanor Parra; music by V. Parra)
Defensa de Violeta Parra – Defense of Violeta Parra (poem by N. Parra; guitar accompaniment V. Parra)
Puerto Montt está temblando – Puerto Montt Is Trembling
Veintiuno son los dolores – Twenty-one Sorrows
El día de tu cumpleaños – On Your Birthday
El pueblo – The People (excerpt from Canto general,by Pablo Neruda; music by V. Parra)
Hace falta un guerrillero – We Need a Guerrilla Fighter
Los santos borrachos – The Drunken Saints (folksong)
A cantarle a los porteños – A Song for the Porteños
Según el favor del viento – As the Wind Blows
Arriba quemando el sol – The Sun Burning Overhead
Arauco tiene una pena – Arauco Is Sorrowful [Levántate Huenchullán – Arise, Huenchullán]
Una chilena en Paris [Une chilienne à Paris] – A Chilean in Paris
Por que los pobres no tienen – Because the Poor Do Not Have (performed by I. Parra)
¿Qué dirá el santo padre? – What Would the Holy Father [Pope] Say?
Paloma ausente – Absent Dove
La carta – The Letter
Rodríguez y Recabarren – Rodríguez and Recabarren [Un río de sangre corre – A River of Blood Flows]
Santiago, penando estás – Santiago, How You Are Suffering
¿Qué vamos a hacer? – What Will We Do? [Ayúdame, Valentina – Help me, Valentina]
Parabienes a los novios – Congratulations to the Betrothed (folksong)
El guillatún – The Guillatún
Escúchame pequeño [Écoute moi, petit] – Take Heed, My Little One
¿Qué he sacado con quererte? – What Have I Gotten From Loving You?
Mazúrquica modérnica – Modernified Mazurka
Run-Run se fue p’al norte – Run-Run Left to Go Up North
Los pueblos americanos – The Peoples of America
Volver a los diecisiete – To Be Seventeen Again
Pupila de águila – Eye of the Eagle
El Albertío – Little Alberto
Pastelero a tus pasteles – Cobbler, Stick to Your Last
Cueca de los poetas – The Poets’ Cueca (text by N. Parra; music by V. Parra)
Rin del angelito – Dance of the Little Angel
Maldigo del alto cielo – I Curse the Heavens Above
Me gustan los estudiantes – I Like Students (performed by Ángel Parra)
Río Manzanares – Manzaneres River (song by José Antonio López; performed by I. Parra and Á. Parra)
Miren cómo sonrién – Look How They Smile
Chapter 8, note 15: Señores y señoritas – Ladies and Gentlemen (folksong)