The chamamecera life of Julian Zinni

An impenetrable  triangle  composed of  music  ,  tradition  and  conscience  . That is the  recipe  that Father  Julián Zinni  used to  conquer  the  artistic world  until the end of his days. That is why on  August 16  , the news of his  death  struck strongly. He was  80 years old  and struggling with an oncological condition that managed to turn off his  voice . The demands for the improvement of the  land  that saw it grow were not enough to save him. But his  legacy  was evidenced in each of the  words  intended to remember him throughout the country.

Zinni's career was entirely dedicated to  language  and the  coastal song book  with folk root. Also, in its lyrics there are components that represent the  customs  of the region, as well as  popular culture  r. In addition, it was highlighted by a  strong commitment  to  memory  ,  identity  and  social justice  . Issues that it considered essential to  eradicate  the oppression and  poverty  suffered for decades by the  town  in Correntino and  Guarani  .

In  1967  he formed the  Third World Priests Movement  with Miguel Ramondetti, Osvaldo Catena, Domingo Bresci and Luis Farinello, among others. Three years later and based in the city of  Mercedes ,  Misiones , he created his  first musical ensemble . It was called  Los Hijos del Pay Ubré  and had the presence of José Ramón Frette, Carlitos Miño, Joaquín Sheridan and Julio Cáceres.

Then, in the  mid-1980s   , his themes became very popular throughout Argentina. Especially from the record production of refurbishing  chamameser groups  such as Los de Imaguaré and Reencuentro. In addition to this,  he worked  hard on  research  on  chamamé  and  Correntina religiosity  . This is reflected in works such as  Ñandé Roga, Pueblo Arandu  and  La Cruz Gil  .

 Authentic coastline 

The poet and author was born in  Paraje El Centinela ,  Ituizangó ,  Corrientes . However, it was scored on  September 29, 1939  in  San José  , Misiones. His parents were Leoncio Gerónimo and Celia Gallardo, who also had six other children. During his childhood he lived in Paraje Cambaí, in Monte Caseros, and on the banks of the Miriñay River, an ancient post of Jesuit reductions.

He studied  Philosophy and Theology  at the Minor Seminary in the city of Corrientes. Later, he completed them at the Major Seminary of La Plata, Buenos Aires. In that line, he was  ordained a priest  in  1963  by Alberto Devoto, the first bishop of Goya. He was also consecutively  priest  in that town of Correntina, as well as Mercedes and Curuzú Cuatiá.

 Long walk 

Zinni received, in 2005, the Tribute to the Trajectory in the field of Popular Culture in the Argentine Senate . In addition, he spent the last few years performing artistic tours of the villages of the interior of various provinces, including his. Others were Chaco, Formosa, Misiones, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Córdoba, with a presentation at the  Cosquín Folklore Festival  in  2016  .

On the other hand, he gave  talks  and  recitals  aimed at  raising awareness  about the heritage preservation and defense of the region's natural wealth  .  There, I address the  importance of the Guaraní Aquifer, the waters of the Yberá and the Paraná Rivers and Uruguay. This initiative was accompanied by renowned artists such as Teresa Parodi, Antonio Tarragó Ro, León Gieco and María Ofelia.