For over three decades Inti-Illimani's music has intoxicated audiences around the globe. Wedded in traditional Latin American roots and playing on more than 30 wind, string and percussion instruments, Inti-Illimani's compositions evoke sacred places, people's carnivals, daily lives, loves and pains.

The name of the group, Inti-Illimani, comes from the Ayamara dialect. Inti means sunand Illimani is a mountain near La Paz, Bolivia. It's pronounced Inte-E-gee-manee).

Known for their open-minded musical approach, the "Intis" had a much different mission in mind when they met in the 60's at Santiago Technical University - to become engineers. Their love of music encouraged their restless souls to explore the indigenous cultures of Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Argentina. In some of the poorest, purest and most ancient cultures they discovered Andean music and in a sense their roots. Inti-Illimani's music became Latin America's visceral link between pueblo and people, vivified in Nueva Canción.

In 1973, Chilean President Salvador Allende was deposed while Inti-Illimani was on tour in Europe. The young musicians found themselves without patria or passport. Italy became their home for the next 14 years. In 1988, they were warmly welcomed back to Chile, moving home permanently in 1990.

They have appeared on Amnesty International stages with Peter Gabriel , Bruce Springsteen, Mercedes Sosa, Sting, and Wynton Marsalis and at benefit concerts for the Victor Jara Foundation (London, Dortmund, Glasgow) with Peter Gabriel, Paco Peña, John Williams, Emma Thompson, Karen Matheson, Maria Farantouri, Salsa Celtica, and the Rambert Dance Company.

Jorge Coulon, a founding member, in an interview stated: "We have never been so political that it was propaganda. We are not a political group in that sense, but we have always been politically engaged. We have a concept of society and about the relationships between human beings, and we try to translate our ideas into our sound, not to be part of one political party or another but in the sense to bring about a better world."

Inti-Illimani's music, influenced by their numerous encounters with other cultures, has illustriously evolved with powerful poetry and provocative instrumental textures. In 2000, Inti-Illimani signed a worldwide license agreement with Warner Brothers. To date Warner has released The Best of Inti-Illimani: 1973-1987", Inti-Illimani performs Victor Jara (a selection of works by the late Chilean composer, singer, poet, actor and close friend of the Intis) and Inti-Illimani: Antologia en vivo (live tracks spanning 33 years). Xenophile Records also released The Best Of Inti-Illimani with works from the four titles they did with Xenophile during the 90s. During 2001, Inti-Illimani toured throughout South America, Italy, Spain, Mexico and North America, ending the year with a tour of Chile and Argentina with John Williams and Paco Peña.

The album Lugares Comunes (common ground), recorded in 2003, celebrates the common joys and trials of daily life, and the value of simple things, in a series of finely-etched songs. The ten tracks of Lugares Comunes feature a number of newly-written compositions, many by the band's new members (Juan Flores. Christian Gonz?lez and Manuel Meri?o), along with traditional songs from Mexico and Peru. The CD also features a video of the first track. "On Your Beach (Sobre tu Playa)," filmed on location in Jerusalem. The band:

Jorge Coulon - guitar, tiple, rondador, zampona, hammered dulcimer, harp, vocals

Marcelo Coulon - guitar, quena, piccolo, flute, bass, vocals

Danil Cantillana - violin, bass, zampona, vocals

Horacion Dur?n - charango, cuatro, percussion, vocals

Juan Flores - bass, cajon, cuatro, charango, quena, guitar, vocals

Manuel Meri?o - guitar, tiple, bass, vocals

Christian Gonz?lez - flutes, quena, siku, zampona, cajon, bass, vocals

Efr?n Manuel Viera - congas, bongo, timbales and other Latin percussion, clarinet, saxophone, vocals

Lugares Comunes (Green Linnet/Xenophile 4056, 2003)