Culture of Chile

The culture of Chile reflects the population and the geographic isolation of the country in relation to the rest of South America.

Even though the folk traditions of Central Chile are central to Chilean cultural and national identity, Chile is both geographically and culturally diverse with both the North and the South having their own folk music and dance due to different indigenous peoples and different immigrant groups settling there.

Hernán Godoy describes the psychological characteristics of the Chilean, and hence part of the Chilean national identity, with following words: roto, madness, sober, serious, prudent, sense of humor, great fear to the ridicule, servile, cruel, and lack of foresight, among other qualities.

Arising imported by the Spanish colonists, it is distinguished from the cueca by an intermediate melodic section and a more prominent melody.

In the mid-1960s native musical forms were revitalized by the Parra family with the Nueva Canción Chilena, which became associated with political activism and reformers like Chilean socialist Salvador Allende and his Popular Unity government.

Violeta Parra, Víctor Jara, Los Jaivas, Inti-Illimani, Illapu and Quilapayún perform of this music.

During the military rule in the 1970s, all forms of public expression contrary to the junta were repressed, and protest songs, which were played and circulated in a clandestine manner.

In 2000s, bands like Los Bunkers, Chancho en piedra, Sinergia or 31 Minutos reinvented chilean national rock.

[2] José Donoso's novel Curfew recalls the latter days of the recent military dictatorship, while Antonio Skármeta's novel Burning Patience (drawing on Neruda's life as a Chilean icon) was the inspiration for the Oscar-winning Italian film, Il Postino (The Postman).

In 1930, her husband donated a bronze copy to the Museum of Fine Arts in Santiago which is recognized as a leading masterpiece.

To this end, they have compiled and disseminated a report published in 2022 (translated the following year), which summarizes their efforts, since its inception, to promote the cause of Chilean music and its exponents, both at Chile and abroad.

In the 20th century, French cuisine marked an important turning point influencing culinary methods and creating a type of Criollo style that has been implemented now in Chilean cooking.

British cooking influences include the onces or tea breaks usually taken in the afternoon among Chileans of all classes and backgrounds.

Throughout Chile each region spanning from north to south contain a variety of culinary recipes special to each location.

Domestic film production in Chile is still small but dynamic, it has been steadily growing since 1990 and the country now produces about 20 motion pictures annually.

The most important filmmakers include Raúl Ruiz (Palomita Blanca), Miguel Littín (El chacal de Nahueltoro), Silvio Caiozzi (Julio comienza en julio), Andrés Wood (Machuca), Pablo Larrain (No) and Sebastián Lelio (A Fantastic Woman).

Practices such as "baby fútbol", which is a street level scrimmage match, is played on areas made of concrete.

This recognition is based on the excellent quality of the slopes, a beautiful landscape, accessibility and proximity to urban centers.

Santiago de Chile is interested in hosting the Winter Olympics in the future, destined to be the second site in the southern hemisphere.

The coat of arms of Chile
Chilean huaso singing
Los Jaivas , performing " Alturas de Machu Picchu ", a version of a part of Pablo Neruda´s Canto General live at Machu Picchu
Nobel laureate Gabriela Mistral
The first Condorito comics collection, published in Chile in 1955.