Cami Talks About The Crisis In Chile

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

Chilean singer Cami is nominated for a Latin Grammy in the categories of 'Best New Artist' and 'Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.' However, it is difficult for her to celebrate in the midst of the crisis her country is suffering. Cami spoke exclusively to People en Español about her music and the violence she has witnessed in the streets of her homeland. "The nominations are dedicated to the people of Chile," said the 22-year-old star, who is promoting her art in the United States, but was eager to rejoin the protesters in Chile. According to reports, the protests began as a result of the government of President Sebastián Piñera.announced that the price of the Metro ticket would rise. People's discontent over economic inequality in the country set off a wave of protests and looting.

"It has affected me a lot," he says. "I was a few days ago demonstrating with people. Now I am out of the country and I look like a lion caged from one place to another with the phone all day pending what is happening, and what I want is to go back to being with people and help in whatever way I can. It is very necessary that we as artists and everyone in general can make visible what is happening because there is a lot of misinformation. It was all very suddenly, but it was time for people to speak up and demonstrate.”

Camila Gallarado -who is the second most listened to Chilean artist on Spotify Chile and has won the Gold and Silver Seagulls at the Viña del Mar Festival 2019- told what she has seen with her own eyes. “The military is on the street shooting innocent people, there is a lot of violence. The same people are stopping the military and stopping what's going on. We are helping each other, we are protecting ourselves. People take care of themselves when there are gunshots, they go to help other people who have been injured by the pellets. It is terrible what is happening but at the same time, I admire both the Chilean people and what we are doing to get up, she reveals.

The singer assures that Chile is ready for a change. "We are children of a dictatorship. Our parents had a dictatorship, our grandparents also, and my generation never thought I was going to be in this situation. We are not in a dictatorship today, but we are under curfew and with the military on the street, it is complex,”he admits. "People are going to make the change. If there is a solution, it must be given immediately, and the solution lies in listening to the people, listening to what the people need. Having the empathy and humility necessary to say: 'We were wrong'. They have been years of repression”.

Cami was hopeful that her people will make their way to a better future. I trust my flag, I trust the Chilean people and that we are going to get out of it. We are very strong, we have been through this once and we have risen from earthquakes and a lot of things, but it was necessary for people to once and for all say that it was really happening, because the injustices were already very brutal.”

The singer clarifies about the situation on the streets: "The Chilean people are not at war, the people are with landmarks and sticks fighting for their rights." Through her music she also hopes to transmit peace and positivism. "I always try to be very connected with my lyrics", concludes the singer-songwriter of songs like "Mi Ruego" and "Fuerte". “Music manages to connect and express what people need to express. It is one of the few tools we have that is transformed into pure empathy.”