The dictatorship was established after the democratically elected socialist government of Salvador Allende was overthrown in a coup d'état backed by the United States on 11 September 1973. During this time, the country was ruled by a military junta headed by General Augusto Pinochet. Thousands of people were 'disappeared' including my father. This story of disrespect to human beings not only happens in my country, this is why I sincerely songtell it to build a brighter future.  Read María's UK press about Chile

Such a lovely show, I was blown away by it, my goodness! Your story, your music, your gift, just needs to be shared. I keep seeing you doing these concerts, they’re so beautiful. And hearing you do those songs, they’re so different to anything I’ve heard you sing before. They’re just really powerful. I really felt the power and the connection with the music in your voice. It’s so beautiful I want to hear it as an album please!

I experienced the upmost pleasure during Maria’s show: a heart wrenching, ultimately uplifting and thought-provoking evening of Chilean folk songs, performed on guitar and ukulele. Maria’s passion and sincerity rang through both her storytelling, which drew the audience into her authentic vulnerability, which was enhanced and lifted by her well-honed singing voice.

Maria held the crowd close to her heart, as she recounted her lived experience as a young child in a despotic regime, with her mother’s strength and ingenuity enabling them to flee to the UK.

If you get a chance to see Maria perform ‘Chile Song’ then I implore you to GO! You will discover the courage of her activist father, who now has a street named, in his honour. I emerged feeling inspired, uplifted and empowered to continue following my activist-performer pathway.

What a wonderful performance! Having watched you perform over the years I just knew this was going to be something special and it certainly was. 

You have this magical ability to create warmth and intimacy with your performance, drawing your audience in.

How brave of you to share your story in such a beautifully creative way; I love how you weaved your music around the history of your people (especially your own personal family story) in a manner that combined tragedy, pathos, humour but above all an indomitable spirit and message of love and resilience to always reach for your dreams! 

I really think you need to take this to fringe events and festivals. You have something so unique to offer and it needs to be shared!!!

Thank YOU María for showing up exactly as you are. Your vulnerability, sharing of your life, heart and songs is a true gift to ME and to this world! As you pointed out it would be a travesty if we were unable to make the most of our one true wild lives given all the hardships we endure… It kinda seems like it is the point, to live… love… grieve again and again… 

Sometimes in this hyper healing focussed bubble of Brighton we can get too bogged down with chasing the next thing… Really it feels to me that it is actually pretty simple: ‘To love and be loved in return‘. I shared quite a lot around that which was on my heart after your share. 

Your show was a power-full, gentle, comforting and connected evening which you curated. It was made all the more magical by the venue, the lighting, your unique friend group!

You have inspired me to follow a dream or two which I have been languishing.

Querida María Adriana,

Thank you for sharing with me your story and your music. I send you a hug from California, 

Isabel Allende

April 2024

The flow of the narrative was spot on and kept your audience’s attention throughout. I think we all felt a little wiser about some of the dreadful atrocities that took place back then and before.

You have clearly matured as a live performer. You looked comfortable, in control of both your voice and instrument, and enjoying the experience. This helped your audience to feel relaxed, engaged and free to applaud spontaneously as opposed to politely and that is a huge achievement!

Well, that was magical. You lit up the room with your honesty, your integrity, your passion, your pain, your humour, your truth, your talent, your beauty. 

When you sang the song that years ago people would have been disappeared for singing - what a moment. It was an amazing show, you were incredible, and if I’m allowed to be, I’m so so proud of you ❤️

There was a great variety of songs and I enjoyed both the softer romantic ones (my favourites) and the more boisterous powerfully-sung ones.

Interweaving all the stories both tragic and humorous and telling them in a very natural open-hearted way really drew the audience in, as though we were remembering and experiencing them with you.

Thank you again. I can really see your show being performed in a theatre venue or at festivals like the Brighton and Edinburgh ones.

Last night was wonderful. Thanks again to you and yours. They give me HOPE.

Thanks again. (From my 80 year old neighbour)

Thank you so much for your wonderful performance last night. I loved the songs, and I loved the story, and would be interested in hearing more.

Just wanted to thank you again for your wonderful singing & playing & telling from the heart on Tuesday. It was truly beautiful ♥️

Photo by Susan Grace Hinman

"The power of your performance comes from your authenticity, your passion, your emotion, your connection to the song that is made by your whole being - your body, your mind and soul comes shining through. 

It delightfully includes your tender vulnerability too, which is unbelievably endearing and a gift for those that get to experience your performance. It's such a rarity and I love it. And I think that that is why you will always attract an audience and bind them in a spell. Oh how we all want to be that congruent, that close to our true selves.

You are such a shining example of that in your performance and it is simply beautiful." 
~ Shirah Mustardé

Review by critically acclaimed playwright Maria McAteer

"In a world full of technically brilliant singers and musicians, why is it that for many of us, only a few really move us and touch our hearts? As a performer myself, I've attended so many gigs where I've been able to watch, appreciate and applaud the technical ability in front of me but I've left the gig feeling uninspired or moved in any way. We all look for something different when we attend a gig/performance.

For me personally, I want to feel honesty from the artist. I want rawness, I want to feel their uniqueness and hear their stories in the way they play or sing. I want to feel moved, inspired, I want them to touch my heart. Maria's gig last Friday did just that. There were no vocal acrobatics or tricks. Maria sang simply, purely and honestly accompanying herself on guitar.

There was no artist ego or wall to break through when watching Maria, she was completely open and if anything, her honesty may have caused some of us to consider our own walls and how we handle such pure honesty in performance. 

Her beautiful Chilean folk songs were interspersed with true stories from her troubled childhood in Chile. The atrocities that her family had to face were more than most of us could imagine but don't think for one moment that Maria sat their playing victim, she told her stories with humour and insight that only one, who has gone through such tragedy, healed and continued with life could share.

As she said, it's important to share these stories to ensure it doesn't happen again. But, is it happening again? Why do these atrocities keep happening? Thank you Maria for being brave enough to share your true self and true story. Your gig I know was both educational, thought provoking and very moving to all that attended."

María Adriana Showreel of Chilean Folk featuring:

• Yo Tuve Dos Mariposas
• El Sacristán
• La Prevenida
• La Llorona

#chileanfolk

#chileanmusic

#folklorechileno

#violetaparra

#victorjara

Photo: Paul Clancy

“Thank you so much for your beautiful performance tonight. It was enchanting, emotional and uplifting all at the same time. 

I have been all over South America for all of my adult life and have never felt like I’ve understood Chile and Chilean culture until tonight. You telling your story through both words and music was really enlightening and I feel much more connected to the culture than I even did while I was there. 

I can’t wait to see your documentary and to see you perform again. Thank you so much for sharing such personal trauma too. It’s a special story and I feel privileged to have heard it. 

You’ve left a wonderful impact on me and I thank you for that as it’s really quite rare to gain so much from one night.

~ Emma

We had the privilege of gathering to experience the mesmerising voice of Maria Adriana as she brought to life folk songs from her childhood homeland, forever altered by the Pinochet regime. 

Through her music, she wove stories of significance and meaning, opening her heart about the harrowing experience of surviving genocide and spending her first six years hidden from the world. 

Her powerful narrative helped us grasp the profound realities of being a refugee and the deep loss of home and family. 

Together, we savoured Chilean cuisine and cocktails, enveloped in her captivating melodies.

#MusicHeals #RefugeeStories #ChileanHeritage