Gracias a la Vida by Violeta Parra

Gracias a la Vida by Violeta Parra (4 October 1917 - 5 February 1967)

Arranged and performed by Emmanuel Sowicz

Filmed in September 2020 | London, UK
Commissioned by the Embassy of Chile in the UK –   / embajadareinounido  

Guitar by Matthias Dammann, 2001
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Violeta Parra (1917-1967) was a Chilean composer, singer-songwriter, folklorist, ethnomusicologist, visual artist, and a pioneer of the Nueva Canción Chilena (The Chilean New Song). Gracias a la Vida (Thanks to Life) was composed in 1966 in La Paz, Bolivia, and is one of Parra’s most emblematic songs. It was recorded and released on Las Últimas Composiciones, Parra’s last album before committing suicide. One of the most covered Latin American songs in history, it was inducted to the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013.

This arrangement was prepared to be performed as an encore for a concerto performance in January 2018 with the Chilean National Youth Orchestra under maestro Maximiano Valdés at Teatro del Lago in Frutillar, Chile, and was completed two days before its performance. It departs from the livelier rhythmic character of the original to explore the song’s more lyrical quality. Special attention should be given to bringing out the melody throughout, especially in those passages in which the accompaniment occupies a similar register.

Open Strings Berlin's video of my performance:    • Emmanuel Sowicz | "Gracias a la vida" by V...  
Violeta Parra’s original recording:    • Violeta Parra - Gracias a la vida Letra HD  
Mercedes Sosa’s emblematic rendition:    • Mercedes Sosa - Gracias A La Vida