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Lickanantay singer-songwriter celebrates her 50-year career with a new album
Renowned folklore performer and Atacameñan cultural expert, Margarita Chocobar, released her fourth album. Several local artists collaborated on the project, which aims to preserve and transfer the ancestral legacy to new generations.
La voz que nace de mi tierra (The voice born of my land) is the name of the fourth studio-produced album by Lickanantay singer-songwriter, cultural expert and educator, Margarita Chocobar. In this album, the artist has undertaken the arduous task of preserving the historical heritage of the Atacameñan people. She pays tribute to the art, experiences and nature that characterize the area and its inhabitants.
The folklore artist presented her album to local authorities and key members of the culture scene at an event that upheld all the health restrictions and respected maximum capacity limits. It is the result of years of research, conducted along with other representatives of the Atacameñan nation, to preserve their culture and build a legacy to pass down to future generations.
“This disc is dedicated to nature and our inland peoples. I sing to the algarrobo and chañar trees and the different places that are part of our history. The album is born of the inspiration the earth has given me and through collaboration from different people, like Manuel Corantes, Mario Ramos and Marcela Silvestre. I also included a piece by my grandparents Gorgonio Cruz and Catalina Mondaca, playing Cueca Antigua on the bombo drum and violin, which is really meaningful to me.
Supported by SQM’s Art and Culture Grants, the album celebrates Chocobar’s 50-year musical career, which has produced discs like Cuecas a mi tierra lickanantay and Yo canto a mi pueblo atacameño, compilations of all her creations and collaborations as a folk composer.
Senior Vice President of Environment and Community at SQM Salar, Alejandro Bucher, emphasized the importance of supporting initiatives that promote the preservation of traditional Atacameñan culture and passing on their customs through music. “We are very pleased to be here for this album release during Heritage Month. This new disc represents Margarita Chocobar’s great, long-standing work to spread the essential aspects of her roots and share Lickanantay history with new generations.”
La voz que nace de mi tierra
This fourth studio-produced disk—created in collaboration with local folk artists like Juan Gavia, Carlos Chocobar and Fabian Contreras—was recorded in Calama and features 15 tracks showcasing the ancestral history of the native people.
With songs like “Yali y El Chainar,” “Nave en el desierto,” “Remembranza de Peine,” and “Allí en el desierto,” Margarita invites listeners to relive the past and cultivate the present in generations to come.
“All the creations and compilations on La voz que nace de mi tierra are a testimony that will remain for all the Atacameñan people and those who want to learn more about our culture. I invite you to listen to my disc, an album that showcases our heritage,” noted the singer-songwriter.
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND COMMUNITY, SQM SALAR