Original article: Valparaíso despide a Álvaro Peña, «primer punk y personaje mítico» de la música chilena

Valparaíso Bids Farewell to Álvaro Peña, Chile’s Legendary Punk Musician

This Thursday, January 8, the news of the physical departure of musician Álvaro Peña, celebrated as the «first punk and mythical figure» of Chilean music, was confirmed. He passed away at the age of 82 in Germany, where he resided.

The artist, born in Valparaíso in 1943, went into exile in the United Kingdom following the 1973 coup d’état, immersing himself in the emerging punk scene by founding the band The 101’ers alongside Joe Strummer, who later became the leader of The Clash.

Throughout his career, Álvaro Peña created his unique music, recognizable to his many listeners, particularly in his hometown, where the impact of losing one of their most beloved artists was felt deeply.

«Chile has lost one of its greatest and most misunderstood musicians of the second half of the 20th century,» wrote journalist René Cevasco, host of the Rockceanía program on Valentín Letelier Radio (University of Valparaíso), one of the first to report on Álvaro Peña’s passing.

Since that moment late at night, reactions began flooding social media, especially within the port city where Peña had a wide circle of friends and forged outstanding musical collaborations, including with the band Fatiga de Material, known for some of the most powerful and vibrant rock sessions in early 21st-century Chile.

Popular writer and researcher Víctor Rojas Farías shared his sentiments, stating: «The shell of Pachamama and Ñuquemapu together! Alvaro Peña, the first punk and mythical figure, right when Luis Alberto Martínez passed away, his counterpoint. I never forgot that Santiago performance where all the punks spat at him in tribute. Or when he had that magnificent backing band with Toto Alvarez, which Álvaro disbanded because they sounded too good.»

Víctor Rojas Farías continued recalling: «Or when he performed in a packed venue, sat at the piano, and declared -and fulfilled- ‘I’m going to sing a cappella a single song in an extended version: Qué Grande que Viene el Río’. An hour (…) a truly exceptional musician without labels.»

The writer from Valparaíso also recalled a piece of advice Álvaro Peña once gave him: «We must say things before people die. ‘Can I borrow your phone?’ he once asked and proceeded to call various characters: -you are the most boring person ever.»

Another admirer expressing their admiration was painter Gonzalo Ilabaca, who wrote on social media: «After Violeta comes Álvaro. Both possessed a rugged voice and intensely personal lyrics, requiring only minimal musical accompaniment. Violeta represents rootedness, femininity, ancestral rural geography, the collective. Álvaro embodies masculinity, the uprooting, blending everything into an individual maze. BOTH TOOK FLIGHT TOGETHER.»

Moreover, journalist and writer Francisco Núñez reminisced about the time Álvaro Peña personally showed up to support striking workers at El Mercurio in Valparaíso.

«Thanks to Eduardo Nuñez Valdes for sending me this photo of Álvaro Peña standing in solidarity with us journalists, photojournalists, and designers, who were on strike due to the miserable conditions imposed by the management of El Mercurio de Valparaíso. A great shot,» Núñez wrote alongside the image.

Finally, from the Rockódromo Network of Rock Schools, they shared on their networks some memories of the times Álvaro Peña participated in the Rockódromo and in concerts of Rock Schools and Popular Music.

El Ciudadano