Pinochet Boys—Shaping a Nation Under Military Regime

Chile, a country with its fair share of political turbulence, witnessed a turning point in 1973. In that year, General Augusto Pinochet orchestrated the military coup that overthrew democratically elected president Salvador Allende. Pinochet’s dictatorship lasted from 1973 to 1990, and these 17 long years were extremely repressive; human rights violations and widespread censorship devastated this South American country of natural wonders.

In the darkest years of censorship, disappearances, and terror, art and music became key means of resistance against the regime. One such pivotal force was the Chilean band Pinochet Boys, a post-punk band whose name alone was tantamount to an act of defiance. They were, in fact, the most provocative and influential among other artists or musicians revolting against Pinochet’s rule. The name “Pinochet Boys” should be the obvious hint of that. 

Through their unique sound and politically charged lyrics, Pinochet Boys resonated with Chileans and dealt a powerful blow to the throne of the oppressor. This article retraces the path they took and the relentless backlash they had from the government before being driven out of their country, and, finally, how their legacy continues in a country still healing from the scars of dictatorship.

The Birth of Pinochet Boys

Arguably, the first ever Chilean punk band formed in 1984, Pinochet Boys, was undoubtedly  an innovative and charismatic band that originated in Santiago with he line-up as follows:

●     Daniel Puente Encina–bass and vocals;

●     Iván “Vanchi” Conejeros–vocals and guitar;

●     Miguel Conejeros–keyboards, guitar;

●     Sebastian “Tan” Levine–drums.

They remained active for only three years but left behind a great legacy for the later underground artists and the punk movement in South America.

The band presented a mixture of punk, new wave, and techno-pop with lyrics that never shied away from pointing fingers at the usurper of Chilean power. They opted for little to no symbolism or subtlety in their music. While many musicians at the time sought to subvert the regime through more subtle means, Pinochet Boys embraced direct confrontation.

Why Punk

The choice of “Punk” was necessitated by the sheer urgency of taking a stand with unwavering resolution for the sake of Chile’s future. In terms of music, the raw and abrasive sound of punk was an appropriate representation of the suppressed anger and rage of the Chilean people. As a form of underground music that is confrontational by nature and has a tantalizing appeal to the youth, Punk was the panacea for their social and cultural reformation.

Also, the politically charged musical genre, Nueva Canción, and the New Song movement were suppressed, particularly after artists like Victor Jara were tortured and killed following the coup that ousted Salvador Allende. The clandestine nature of performing punk or post-punk made it possible to reach the people.

Occupational Hazard and Survival

“Those were extremely dark times…The fear of being detained or tortured to death was always present,” said Daniel Puente Encina. This is so macabre that each time they were on the stage, it had the potential to become their last performance. They could never finish a complete set since the police would always barge in and interrupt their covert concerts.

At least one of the members of the Pinochet Boys, if not more, was injured and bleeding in every show. And that is if they were fortunate; otherwise, what awaited them was being thrown into jail. The severity of the fascist government’s effort to suppress them kept on rising, so much that on one occasion, the police tried to electrocute them after throwing buckets of water onto the stage.

Music as Subversive Power

Performing under such conditions was their way of trying to escape the reality of the dictatorship and live by making their own rules. For Pinochet boys, the notion of the protest song has always been part of their cultural DNA. When musicians, filmmakers, and writers were in a position where their work was being censored, banned, or even destroyed, Pinochet boys were there criticizing the regime at the risk of being imprisoned, tortured, or worse.

The DIY approach of punk that they adopted was more than a mere musical aesthetic, rather, it was a political stance. It was their form of subversion; it was how they refused to conform to the imposed rules. If I may, I would mark it as a declaration of independence from the forces that wanted to silence them.

When Less is More

Pinochet boys played their anti-fascist music in bars or small venues to draw as little attention from the government as possible with a surprisingly limited repertoire that could be recorded in two songs–"La música del general" and "Botellas Contra El Pavimento." Each member of the band is currently living outside their country and pursuing their individual goals without the incessant fear of being shot dead. But, just a few decades ago, with only two songs, they revolutionized the idea of “Protest songs,” and that is still relevant in our current version of the earth.

The Cultural Impact: More Than Just Music

Chile under the dictatorship of Pinochet was a nation of silent screams. Pinochet Boys are those who heard those muffled cries and vehemently broadcasted to the world. Their music wasn’t by any means for our entertainment, it was their aggressive preaching to a world that had turned its blind eye and deaf ears to the oppressed.

What they established was the fact that art can resist tyranny. If not through beauty, then through the symphony of chaos. After Pinochet’s fall, Chile struggled with establishing a democratic land for its citizens as the military’s influence lingered. During that period, despite being long-disbanded, Pinochet Boys’ music stayed as a reminder of what Chile had endured. 

Epilogue

The keyboardist and guitarist Miguel Conejeros published a photography book, “Pinochet Boys,” in 2008 as the editorial director, where he wrote in his prologue, “This book attempts to rescue a lost memory. A part of the unofficial cultural history of the dark 1980s in Chile.” By that time, the reason behind the band’s emergence had become something that happened in the distant past and held little influence on the world to come.

Our fast-evolving society and its economy have diluted the impact and relevance of a Chilean band that was together for three years and had only two recorded songs. But the reality is that the anti-fascist band  Pinochet Boys represented a generation of young Chileans who refused to be silenced and trampled by an oppressive regime. They made music not to win the hearts of their fans, but rather to illuminate the darkest corners of Chile’s history.