Memory tells me I heard Robert Wyatt's cover of Peter Gabriel's Biko on John Peel's show when we were living in Cosin Court, and bought this 12" EP for that. Biko is great, but the song that has stayed with me ever since is Te Recuerdo Amanda by Victor Jara.
I remember researching this song recently — I can't recall why — and am now prompted to do so again. The names Amanda and the Manuel in the lyrics are those of Jara's parents, but as far as I can tell, the song is not about his parents but about lovers separated by some conflict (or industrial accident at a factory? or Pinochet-era disappearance?) in Jara's native Chile — here's some heavy duty analysis that I've only skimmed. And Youtube has a video of Jara singing the song:
Finally a mention for Amber and the Amberines purely on the basis that it raises a glass to the "Fidel few", and that Fidel announced his retirement last week.
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