Gracias a la vida

For the Joan Baez album, see Gracias a la Vida (album). For the charity song, see Gracias a la Vida (charity song).

"Gracias a la vida" (English: Thanks to life) is a song composed and first performed by Chilean musician Violeta Parra, one of the artists who set the basis for the movement known as Nueva Canción. It was released in Las Últimas Composiciones (1966), the last album Parra published before committing suicide in 1967.

The song is one of Parra's most renowned and is performed through the world, and remains as one of the most covered Latin American songs in history. The song was inducted into the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013.

Legendary folk singer Joan Baez brought the song to the American audiences in 1974 when she included a cover of the song on her Spanish language album of the same name. It remains a concert staple of Baez' to this day.

Finnish singer Arja Saijonmaa recorded this song in both Finnish (Miten voin kyllin kiittää) and Swedish (Jag vill tacka livet). Her Swedish interpretation is one of the most well-known of her Swedish-language oeuvres, and she sung it during Olof Palme's funeral in March 1986.

Canadian singer/songwriter Nancy White recorded her English translation (with permission of Warner Chappell Music Argentina (SADAIC))on her 1998 Borealis cd "Gaelic Envy".

One of the artists most associated with "Gracias a la vida" is the Argentine singer Mercedes Sosa. "Gracias a la vida" became something of a personal anthem for Sosa and was a constant in all of her performances up until her death.

Cover versions

• Cecilia en Gracias a la vida (1970)
• Isabel Parra on Los Parra de Chile (1970)
• Chagual on Tu canto Viola doliente (1970)
• Mercedes Sosa on Homenaje a Violeta Parra (1971)
• Joan Baez, Live at Festival des Vieilles Charrues, Carhaix, Brittany, FRANCE, 2000
• Alberto Cortez Ni poco... ni demasiado (1973)
• Gabriella Ferri on Remedios (1974)
• Raphael on Recital hispanoamericano (1975)
• Elis Regina on Falso Brilhante (1976)
• Sonia la Única on Sonia canta a Violeta Parra (1980)
• Richard Clayderman on América Latina Mon Amour (1992)
• Richard Clayderman on América Latina... mon amour (1992)
• Plácido Domingo on Canciones de amor (2003) y De mi alma latina (1994)
• Joan Baez on Gracias a la Vida (1974) and Ring Them Bells (1995)
• Nana Mouskouri on Nana Latina (1996)
• Luis Jara on Lo Nuestro... ayer y hoy (1999)
• Issac Delgado on La Formula (2000)
• Los Bunkers on Después de vivir un siglo (2001)
• Alberto Cortez on Leyendas: Alberto Cortez (2005)
• Yasmin Levy on La Judería - Ladino meets flamenco (2005)
• La Oreja de Van Gogh on "Festival de Viña del Mar" (2005)
• Amaury Pérez and Frank Fernández on Los dúos (2006)
• Gloria Simonetti on 40 años de gloria (2007)
• Ángel Parra on Violeta se fue a los cielos (2007)
• Los Tres on Cantores que reflexionan: sintiendo a Violeta (2007)
• Jorge González on Cantores que reflexionan: sintiendo a Violeta (2007)
• Verónica Garay Opaso on Así (2007)
• Verónica Garay Opaso on Así (2007)
• Pasión Vega on Gracias a la vida (2009)
• Pasión Vega on Gracias a la vida (2009)
• Rosario Flores on Cuéntame (2009)
• Michael Bublé on Gracias a la Vida: Voces Unidas por Chile (2010) to gather funds for the Chilean people affected by the earthquake in Chile, February 2010 http://www.vocesunidasporchile.com/
• Margareth Menezes on Naturalmente Acústico (2010)
• Erwin Schrott on Rojotango (2011)
• Margarita (La Diosa de la Cumbia) on her DVD "Sinfonica' (2011)
• Laura Pausini en vivo en varios conciertos
• Óscar Chávez on 16 exitos de oro
• Nicole Natalino's performance of Gracias a la vida was controversial
• Miri Mesika (2013)
• Claudia Acuña on Wind from the south (2000)
• Carlos do Carmo & Bernardo Sassetti on Carlos Do Carmo/Bernardo Sassetti (2011)

External links

• "Gracias a la vida" at MusicBrainz (information and list of recordings)
• Gracias a la vida گراسیاس آلا ویدا (+ translation into twelve languages)