Chinese musicians pay homage to Violeta Parra in Chile

SANTIAGO, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Musicians from China's Southwest University for Nationalities paid homage to Chilean musician, Violeta Parra, in Santiago on Saturday to mark the centenary of her birth.

As part of a year-long celebration of the life and works of Parra, a folklorist and songwriter who is known as "The Mother of Latin American Folk", the performance was organized by the Chile-China Cultural Institute and the Chinese People's Friendship Association with Foreign Countries.

Held at the Violeta Parra Museum, the Chinese musicians sang Parra's songs, including "Gracias a la Vida" in Chinese, and performed her pieces, being met with strong applause by the crowd.

The musicians from the Southwest University for Nationalities also performed in the city of Valparaiso on Friday, as well as meeting with music students and professors at Andres Bello National University, and establishing a musical exchange program between the two institutions.

Tan Yong, a music professor and leader of the group, told Xinhua that "through this visit, we have been able to get to know Chilean culture more deeply."

His group of musicians have performed numerous concerts of Latin American music in China and have visited Cuba in the past.