Gondwana

Although reggae is often linked to Jamaica and Africa, the reach of Bob Marley and roots reggae extended even to South America, where it led to the creation of Gondwana, the Chilean band that has steadily gained an international following. The ensemble came together in 1987 while Chile remained under the Pinochet dictatorship and therefore operated with restraint until the political atmosphere loosened, since authorities viewed with suspicion any younger voices expressing ideas, especially the peaceful tenets of Rastafarianism, that conflicted with official positions. The measured pace of their early years proved advantageous, allowing the musicians to shape a personal style that singer Quique Niera characterized as “very rockish, but we also have the South American traditional rhythms, like the bolero.” Traces of that fusion surfaced on the 1996 debut Together, yet reached fuller expression four years later on the second album, Second Coming. Issued in Chile as Alabanza, the record broke through by climbing to the top of the national charts, while the extracted single “Antonia” likewise topped the listings. Political concerns were not avoided; “Libertad” addressed the justice and peace that had eluded Chileans during the dictatorship. After the album’s American release on RAS, Gondwana set out on a world tour.