Victor Heredia


Víctor Heredia is an Argentine singer songwriter. Author of Taki Ongoy, a symphonic work about Taki Ongoy, a millenarian movement against the Spanish conquest.

Biography

He was born in the neighborhood of Monserrat, in the city of Buenos Aires, though he grew up in Paso del Rey, a city in the Moreno area of Greater Buenos Aires. His paternal family is of French origin, whereas his maternal grandmother was of Capayán indigenous origin, born in the Calchaquí Valleys, in the province of Catamarca. When he was young, he won the newcomer's prize in the Cosquín Festival.
Many of his songs address what he see as the social problems in Latin American and various human rights issues. In 1972 the singer turned into the first argentine entrant in the first edition of the OTI Festival which was held in Madrid. His song "Sabes que estamos aquí América ended last in a tie with other four entrants, his talent didn't go unnoticed. He has recorded with various artists, such as Joan Manuel Serrat, Mercedes Sosa, León Gieco, Milton Nascimento, el Cuarteto Zupay , Silvio Rodríguez, and Pablo Milanés, amongst others.
He was banned during the military Argentine dictatorship, which started in 1976. This dictatorship left an estimated 30,000 missing persons including his sister, Maria Cristina. Heredia collaborates closely with organizations that denounce the crimes of the dictatorship, such as the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo and the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, and also with organizations of indigenous peoples.
His works include Todavía Cantamos, Sobreviviendo, El viejo Matías, Dulce Daniela, and Razón de vivir. His albums include Taki Ongoy, a conceptual work composed in 1986 in homage to Taki Ongoy, an indigenous movement that arose in the sixteenth century in opposition to the Spanish invasion.

Prizes