Ok, are you ready to learn more about Chile? You've come to the right place: the online store. These are my favorite books about Chile, there are only a couple of books that I am recommending I don't actually own, so I'm not trying to sell you something you won't like. Anyway, if you don't want to buy them, right down the titles and check them out from your local library.

	This is the quintessential Chilean cookbook. It has some great recipies for empanadas, humitas, pan de pasqua. But what makes this book great is that some of the less common traditional food. It is also great because it doesn't call for any ingredients you can't get in the United States. Even if you're not a great cook (like myself), you can find something in here you can easily make. It also has vivid descriptions of Chile and describes the ingredients.
	Insight Guides are my favorite country guides. They have a multitud of great pictures, and lots of useful information. If you're looking for a book on general country information, history, travel or cultural information, this one has it all.
	Pablo Neruda is by far my favorite poet. This book has a good sample of his poety, from his caliente love poems from his early youth, to the elemental odes of his later years.
	This book also makes Neruda my favorite writer. This is a very readable and enjoyable autobiography. The richness and honesty of his writing still amazes me everytime I read it. I'd recommend reading this book in Spanish, but this English translation, is very good.
	Isabel Allende has created an epic about a family of strong and memorable in Chile. Mystic realism is the same style as Gabriel Garcia Marquez'es "Cien anos de soledad". Very good reading, The House of Spirits is the English version.

Traditional Folklore Music

A lot of really good music has come out of Chile. Chilean folklore music is very enjoyable to listen to. The unique instruments such as the pan flate and the charango give a very distinct flavor to the music. Chilean music is distinct, but often gets grouped with Peruvian and Bolivian musica ans Andean music.

	Inti Illimani is my favorite of the Chilean folklore groups. They were in exile during the Pinochet years, where the made a lot of foreign contacts. My favorite album of their's is Leyenda.
	Here's another fun one of Inti Illimaniis. This features music from different Latin American countries.
	Illapu is another very good folklore group, I haven't heard much of their work, but what I have heard is very good.
	Another similar group to Illapu is Los Jaivas.
	Quilapayun is another good folklore group.
	Violeta Parra

Contemporary Chilean Music

There is a lot of good contemporary music in Chile.  Here are some of my favorites:

	Myriam Hernandez would probably fall under the category of "soft rock" or "contemporary pop."
	Los Prisoneros was a really cool rebel band in the late 80's and early 90's. They, alas, are now defunct. I think the ex-lead singer, Jorge Gonzales, has had at least 2 albums since he left the group.  I have the first, but haven't found any more of his stuff.
	La Ley was my favorite band while I was living in Chile (90-92).  They rock!

© Copyright 2006 ChileZine Co. All rights reserved.
Written and compiled by Eric Canfield.