Como un pájaro libre

"Como un pájaro libre" was Mercedes Sosa's second album in exile, released in 1982, when the end of the Argentine dictatorship was not yet in sight. The title evokes freedom, that longing that Mercedes and millions of Argentines held in their hearts, and the image of the bird that flies beyond borders and censorship. Recorded again at the Philips studios in Paris, the album presents a repertoire of songs by Latin American authors, some of which were banned in Argentina by the dictatorship.

The song "Como un pájaro libre" (by Violeta Parra) is a declaration of principles and a manifesto of resistance from exile. "Todavía cantamos" (by Víctor Heredia) is an anthem to the perseverance of popular song despite repression. "Canción urgente para Nicaragua" (by Silvio Rodríguez) is a show of support for the Sandinista revolution, and "El derecho de vivir en paz" (by Víctor Jara) is a reminder of the struggles still pending. Mercedes's voice sounds stronger and more combative than on her previous album, as if the hope of an imminent return drove her to sing with more force. The arrangements are more varied and colorful, with instruments from the Andean and Caribbean tradition.

The legacy of "Como un pájaro libre" is that of a transitional album, between exile and return, which kept the flame of resistance alive through song. The album was very well received in Europe and Latin America, and contributed to making Mercedes Sosa's figure a symbol of the struggle for human rights and freedom. When in 1982 the Argentine dictatorship fell into disgrace after the Falklands War, Mercedes began to plan her return. "Como un pájaro libre" is the song of that bird which, though caged by exile, does not lose its wings nor its song.