We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ericka Verba a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ericka , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

My book Thanks to Life: A Biography of Violeta Parra is truly my life’s work. I can trace its origins back to my high school years, when I became friends with a Chilean family who moved to my town. They were a very creative and politically engaged family. The kids, who were my age, were musicians and artists. They introduced me to my first Violeta Parra songs and opened my eyes to the brutality of the Pinochet dictatorship which ruled Chile at the time. I guess you could say that I had an artistic and political awakening at the same time while I was still in high school. This and the beauty and power of Violeta Parra’s music shaped my life trajectory from then on.

Fast forward five decades, and I have written a book about this amazing Chilean musician and visual artist. I know no other way to describe Violeta Parra than as a creative genius. Her life story is also very compelling as she was born in a small town in southern Chile in 1917 and went on to become the artist and activist whose work resonates to this day. For those of you who are not yet familiar with Violeta Parra and her work, I urge you to pause reading and google her. Listen to her songs and view her artwork and I am confident that you will return to reading this with renewed curiosity.

Ericka , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I majored in Latin American Studies as an undergraduate in the 1970s and am the current director of Latin American Studies at Cal State LA, so I can safely say that I have devoted much of my life’s work to the field of Latin American Studies. I am also a musician and was a founding member of the L.A.-based new song groups Sabiá and Desborde.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal is to make Violeta Parra’s life and work as well known in the United States as it is throughout Latin America.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a musician and author is the way my creative activities open up possibilities of collaboration with other creatives. I truly believe that my work is strengthened beyond measure by these collaborations.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://erickaverba.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericka_verba
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ericka.verba
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericka-verba-6851b388/

Image Credits

Victor Mojica
Ciro Hurtado
Rafael C. Gómez