Thanks to Life: A Violeta Parra Book Launch & Sing-Along with Ericka Verba

Join us for a celebration of the life and work of Violeta Parra—Chilean musician, artist, and global symbol of resistance—through the launch of Thanks to Life, a new biography by Ericka Verba.

Friday, May 23, 2025 | 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM (doors open at 6:30 PM)
La Peña Cultural Center | 3105 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA
Free and open to all ages | Bilingual (English & Spanish)

This evening includes:

• A book discussion and dialogue with Ericka Verba
• A community sing-along of Violeta Parra’s songs led by members of Sabiá – Ericka Verba, Mari Riddle, and special guests
• The opportunity to purchase the book and have it signed by the author

Chilean musician and artist Violeta Parra (1917–1967) is an inspiration to generations of artists and activists across the globe. Her music is synonymous with resistance, and it animated both the Chilean folk revival and the protest music movement Nueva Cancion (New Song). Her renowned song "Gracias a la vida" has been covered countless times, including by Joan Baez, Mercedes Sosa, and Kacey Musgraves. A self-taught visual artist, Parra was the first Latin American to have a solo exhibition at the Museum of Decorative Arts in the Louvre. In this remarkable biography, Ericka Verba traces Parra's radical life and multifaceted artistic trajectory across Latin America and Europe and on both sides of the Iron Curtain.

Drawing on decades of research, Verba paints a vivid and nuanced picture of Parra's life. From her modest beginnings in southern Chile to her untimely death, Parra was an exceptionally complex and talented woman who exposed social injustice in Latin America to the world through her powerful and poignant songwriting. This examination of her creative, political, and personal life, flaws and all, illuminates the depth and agency of Parra's journey as she invented and reinvented herself in her struggle to be recognized as an artist on her own terms.

Ericka Verba is Director and Professor of Latin American Studies at California State University, Los Angeles. Her research explores the cultural Cold War, music in social movements, and gender and class politics in 20th-century Latin America. She has received grants from the NEH, Mellon Foundation, SSRC, Fulbright, and the LA Department of Cultural Affairs. She is a founding member of SCALAS and a recipient of the E. Bradford Burns Award.

Her book Thanks to Life: A Biography of Violeta Parra reflects a lifelong connection to Parra’s work. Introduced to Parra’s music in her teens by a Chilean family of musicians, Verba’s political and artistic journey has been intertwined with Parra’s legacy ever since. A founding member of New Song groups Sabiá and Desborde, she has performed Parra’s music since 1976. She wrote her undergraduate thesis on Parra, directed a 1996 tribute concert, and has long connected her research on Chilean women’s history with Parra’s life. This book is the result of decades of study and personal engagement.

To read her full bio and learn more about her work visit erickaverba.com

• La Peña is a wheelchair-accessible venue with step-less entry, wide doorways, and accessible restrooms.
• Masks are strongly encouraged. If you’re experiencing COVID-19, cold, or flu-like symptoms, please consider staying home to protect our community. HEPA air purifiers operate throughout our space.
• Restrooms are all-gender and wheelchair-accessible

We strive to make La Peña a welcoming, accessible space for everyone. For accommodation requests, please contact us at least one week in advance, and we’ll do our best to support you. Email us at aW5mbyB8IExhcGVuYSAhIG9yZw==

• Public Transit: The 18 bus line stops directly across the street (Shattuck & Woolsey), and Ashby BART is just two blocks away.
• Parking: Free street parking is available, or park at the Ashby BART station for a fee.
• Bike-Friendly: Bike racks are available outside our cultural center

To learn more about La Peña's membership program, please visit Lapena.org/members

Questions?

Contact us at aW5mbyB8IExhcGVuYSAhIG9yZw==

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