The Mapuche Indians marked the Argentinean history till the last quarter of the 19th century, when their military domination of the country’s wide open spaces was crushed by the Argentinean army, finally armed with the most sophisticated weapons available at the time.
Today, the Mapuche culture and people are still alive in Argentina, much to the surprise of the white dominant society, which is just beginning to re-discover the indigenous foundation of their country.
Beatriz Pichi Malen is an heir to this history, dedicating her life to the search and transmission of the ancient Mapuche songs.
Beatriz Pichi Malen was born in Los Toldos, Province of Buenos Aires, and is the great great granddaughter of Coliqueo, the famous 19th-century Mapuche Chief. Since 1984 she has been active in the dissemination of Mapuche culture and history, collaborating with many educational institutions all over Argentina. Workshops and seminars on Mapuche song and dance make up an important part of her activities, especially with important festivals like the Festival de Cosquin, Province of Cordoba.
In 1994 she was awarded first prize in the category “vocal soloist” at the Festival de Cosquin, Argentina. That same year she began a series of presentations on Mapuche culture throughout Argentina, including a performance at the amphitheater of the Argentinean House of Deputies.
In 1995 she was awarded the “Condor de Oro”, followed in 1997 by, the “Argentine Music Award” from Tribuna Musical Argentina in the ethnic music category. Tribuna Musical Argentina also selected one of Beatriz Pichi Malen’s songs for the international CD release of the institute.
In 2000 the artist recorded her first CD of ancient Mapuche songs called Plata. The same year Beatriz Pichi Malen was the invited artist to take part in the Argentine tour of Joe Zawinul and the Zawinul Syndicate.
Discography
Plata – Canciones de Origen Mapuche (Acqua Records, 2000)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
