V�ctor Lidio Jara Mart�nez was a Chilean teacher, theatre director, poet, singer-songwriter, political activist and member of the Communist Party of Chile. A distinguished theatre director, he developed Chilean theatre by directing a broad array of works, ranging from locally produced Chilean plays, to the classics of the world stage, to the experimental work of such playwrights as Ann Jellicoe. He also played a pivotal role among neo-folkloric musicians who established the Nueva Canci�n Chilena movement; this led to an uprising of new sounds in popular music during the administration of Salvador Allende. Shortly after the Chilean coup of 11 September 1973, Jara was arrested; he was tortured under interrogation and ultimately shot dead. His body was later thrown out into the street of a shanty town in Santiago. The contrast between the themes of his songs, on love, peace and social justice and the brutal way in which he was murdered transformed Jara into a "potent symbol" of struggle for human rights and justice for all the victims of the Pinochet regime. 

September 28th, 1932 in San Ignacio  /  Died:   Sep 15th, 1973 - aged 40