Arriba en la Cordillera

Manns wrote the song in a single night, using as inspiration the memories he had of different moments in his life, where fleeing from justice he hid in the foothills of Los Angeles,[4] later he was riding on horseback towards the confines of the Andes, to finally reach Atacalco mountain pass. and in the Laguna del Laja. Manns in the "cumbereros lakes", lived with the muleteers, who made their living stealing Argentine cattle to bring them to Chile, those who dedicate themselves to this practice are known as rustlers. Manns spent most of the day fishing, besides eating fish, he ate horse meat and sometimes ate beef brought from other places.[1]

Manns recorded the song thanks to the initiative of Camilo Fernández,[5] performed it together with the groups Los Cuatro Cuartos and Las Cuatro Brujas, and finally he released the song as a single in 1965.[6] Later the song was included in the 1966 album "Entre Mar y Cordillera" (Between Sea and Mountain Range).[7] Years later, it would appear in Manns compilation albums as the 1999 album namesake[8][9] and the 2015 album titled "Legado de Trovadores".[10]

The song premiered a video clip in October 1972, under the direction of Hugo Arévalo, who is considered «the father of the video clip in Chile». In the video clip you see Patricio Manns, wearing a poncho that lent the filmmaker to play the role of a muleteer, riding a horse with a group of muleteers in the Andes Mountains. In that moment Manns and Arévalo who were friends and they knew each other from the city of Concepción, went in search of muleteers in the area of Farellones for the filming of the video clip, according to the Arévalo words: "He had made this same story, this same section, he only tells his real experience, what he lived".[11]

The song has been performed by various bands and singers such as: Inti-Illimani, Mon Laferte, Los Miserables, and Quilapayun. Ginette Acevedo, achieved great popularity for his respective version of "Arriba en la Cordillera".[12]

7" Single

1. Arriba en la Cordillera (Patricio Manns, the groups Los Cuatro Cuartos and Las Cuatro Brujas) (3:38)
2. Ya no canto tu Nombre (Patricio Manns and Edmundo Vásquez) (2:20)

Considered one of the most representative songs of the Nueva Cancion Chilena, Arriba en la cordillera was chosen as «The best Chilean song of all time» in the fortieth Huaso de Olmué Festival[13] on January 2009.[14] Surpassing other compositions like: «Si somos americanos» by Rolando Alarcon,[15][16] «Te recuerdo amanda» by Víctor Jara, «Volver a los 17» by Violeta Parra, «Las joyas del pacifico» by Víctor Acosta, and «Viva Chile» by Luis Bahamonde.[13]

As a result Manns received the Golden Guitrapin, and four million dollars, what were the main awards of the festival.[15] According to Patricio Manns statements: "This is the first time that happens to me and it is wonderful. I thank everyone who has awarded this song, which represents a life's work. This song is fifty years old and is still alive and well."[13] Katherine Orellana was chosen as the best interpreter at that same festival,[17] and according to Hugo Lagos words regarding the award of "Arriba en la cordillera":

In the year I don't know how much two songs were chosen in Chile as the best of the last 40 years "Gracias a la vida" and "Arriba en la Cordillera". We decided to record that of Manns, that of Violeta had no need, her children were enough. We started to make the arrangement, it was done on a tour of Italy, in Venice at the home of Gabriel Valdés son, Max Valdés, who was a conductor. The introduction was done with quenas and little by little they began to collect ideas collectively. The arrangement was completed in the city of Paris, France, but the bulk of the work was done by Carrásco, choirs and counterpoint of quenas, were modulated in singing.

— Hugo Lagos[18]