Cantos Cautivos
Little Doctors (Doctorcitos)
- Music piece by:unknown. Folk tune from the Andes highlands
- Testimony by:Guillermo Orrego
- Experience in:
In 1974 - I don’t quite remember the month - the Chacabuco Olympics were held. The opening ceremony consisted of symbolically carrying the Olympic torch through the concentration camp.
The bearer of that emblem was a comrade nicknamed El Tigre de Carayaca (The Tiger of Carayaca). He put a handkerchief on his head and wore a sweatshirt-type undershirt on his torso, white and sleeveless, as well as football shorts, green, baggy and with white stripes on the sides. The shorts were mine.
There was a tremendous uproar, and the march left from the corner of our house at number 26, pavilion 5, next to our University, in the middle of the Civic District. The fervour grew as we were all running next to El Tigre and reached another pavilion after a few laps around the Olympic course.
The march was accompanied by the sounds of the
The taquirari was the tune used by the political prisoners of Chacabuco at any event happening in the camp. A few years ago, I learned that this tune is also known as "Doctorcitos".
I also remember the sudden appearance of a soldier playing the trumpet by our dining room area. He would play us tunes by the German jazz player Bert Kaempfert, very well performed. He would only play for a while and then would disappear.
Since I was an actor of the Sunday show, I learned that steps were taken for this squaddie to participate in our event, but it was not possible to dissuade him.
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Published on: 29 March 2019
Recorded in 2015 by MACOMBA, a group of ex-prisoners and friends, as a homage to Marcelo Concha Bascuñán.
Related testimonies:
- Filistoque's Cueca (Cueca del Filistoque) Víctor Canto Fuenzalida, Campamento de Prisioneros Chacabuco, June 1974
Filistoque is a real-life person in all his mighty height (1.90 metres tall). I always remember him laughing. In Chacabuco, we shared a house for nearly ten months. Around him, you were never allowed to become depressed or get into a stew over our situation.
- Lucky Devil (El suertúo) Luis Cifuentes Seves, Campamento de Prisioneros Chacabuco, November 1973 - February 1974
This
cueca was composed at Chacabuco sometime between November 1973 and February 1974 and was sung by Los de Chacabuco, of which Víctor Canto and I were members. - A Cocky Fellow (El puntúo) Luis Cifuentes Seves, Campamento de Prisioneros Chacabuco, November 1973 - February 1974
This
cueca was composed in Chacabuco between November 1973 and February 1974, and was sung by the band Los de Chacabuco, to which Víctor Canto and I belonged. - The Crux of the Matter (La madre del cordero) Servando Becerra Poblete, Campamento de Prisioneros Chacabuco, 9 November 1973 - 10 November 1974
I recited this poem in the National Stadium. I continued to do so in the Chacabuco prison camp, earning the nickname of “Venancio” from my fellow prisoners.
- The Crux of the Matter (La madre del cordero) Servando Becerra Poblete, Campamento de Prisioneros, Estadio Nacional, 9 November 1973 - 10 November 1974
I recited this poem in the National Stadium. I continued to do so in the Chacabuco prison camp, earning the nickname of “Venancio” from my fellow prisoners.
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