I am a Chilean-born singer/songwriter who grew up in the UK as a result of the coup d’état in 1973. This is my blog. I believe that songs have the power to encapsulate particular moments in history and to preserve them for future generations. They can tell our stories, question the world and unite people, crossing any linguistic or cultural confines. Sadly, this way of passing on knowledge is being eroded, and my mission is threefold. Firstly, to contribute to its preservation and evolution. Secondly, to add my creative input to current oral history research about Chile, the dictatorship and exile. And lastly, to encourage old and new generations of Chilean and Latin American women who have been forced to live outside the homeland to take joy and strength from the histories and cultures of our combined countries, which are inextricably intertwined. Hence, this space is also a celebration of Chilean and Latin American culture in a broader sense, and a warm embrace to anyone who is interested in our songs, poetry, arts and crafts.

As a second-generation Chilean exile, I am have spent my life trying to create awareness of  Chile's recent past and have a deep love for history and memory studies. I am working on the creation of an artistic repository of memories pertinent to the exile community and to those who were tortured in Chile, and I aim to preserve and disseminate their them through song and poetry.

In this blog you will find news and updates about my music, writing and film projects, as well as insights into Latin American culture and my own craft work. I am a ‘daughter of exile’ and grew up surrounded by folk and tango music, which my mother brought over from Chile and continued to collect over the years. Determined to sing these genres of music as a way to survive exile, I taught myself to sing and play guitar. Out of love for my own country, and as a personal quest to know more about it, I studied history at university and later went on to form my own band, Valentina and Voces del Sur, with my Scottish partner, David A Russell.

The name Voces del Sur — Voices of the South — captures the essence of all my artistic expressions. It is a banner under which I bring together my music, my writing, my handcrafts, and my commitment to memory and oral history. It reflects the many voices, stories, and creative forms that emerge from the south — of the world, of exile, of memory — and it honours the resilience and richness of Latin American culture in all its diversity. I am now based in Scotland and have a passion for Latin American history, folk music and tango. One of my main aims is to tell the stories of my people through singing and songwriting as well as through other art forms. So if you are looking to connect with someone like myself or have an interest in oral history, memory and Latin America, with special emphasis on Chile and exile, this is the place for you. Welcome!