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From album
Gracias a la vida
Joan Baez · 1974
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The story behind
This version of “Paso río” (“I Pass a River”) is no ordinary song: it’s one of those moments that stick in your memory. Joan Báez recorded it in 56 seconds, but decades of history are packed into that time. Báez’s voice—clear and unadorned—flows over a melody that seems to come from some forgotten corner of Latin America. There’s no over-the-top production or distracting arrangements; just the essence of a song that, when you listen to it, makes you feel the weight of its message.
The album *Gracias a la vida* was released in 1974, but its origins date back further. Báez recorded it in response to a dark moment: the coup that overthrew Salvador Allende in Chile and left the country under Augusto Pinochet’s regime. She had already been denouncing her own government’s interference in the region for years, and this album was her way of raising her voice. Among the songs, she included compositions by Víctor Jara—who was murdered after the coup—and Violeta Parra, two figures who, through their lyrics, became symbols of resistance. “Paso río” is one of those pieces that needs nothing more than its own truth to move the listener.