New book reveals details of Víctor Jara’s unfinished ballet

A new book titled ‘Víctor Jara y los siete estados. Una obra inconclusa’ has been released, providing new insights into the musical and creative work of the influential Chilean figure Víctor Jara. The research, conducted by composer and academic Félix Cárdenas, focuses on ‘Los siete estados’, a large-scale ballet project that was interrupted in 1973 during its development.

The ballet was conceived under the direction and choreography of Patricio Bunster, featuring music by Jara and Peruvian composer Celso Garrido-Lecca. The project was notable for integrating contemporary dance, popular music, electroacoustic experimentation, and collective creation. For decades, the work remained a fragmentary reference in Chilean musical and scenic historiography.

Cárdenas reconstructed the project using testimonies, photographs, institutional archives, recordings, and memories from those involved in the creative process. The book aims to expand the understanding of Jara’s artistic legacy by recovering new music 53 years after his death.