"They Dance Alone (Cueca Solo)" is a protest song composed by English musician

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and published first on his 1987 album '' ...Nothing Like the Sun''; the song was the fifth and final single released from the album. The song is a metaphor referring to mourning Chilean women ( arpilleristas) who dance the

Cueca Cueca () is a family of musical styles and associated dances from Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia. In Chile, the cueca holds the status of national dance, where it was officially declared as such by the Pinochet dictatorship on September 18, 19 ...

, the national dance of

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

, alone with photographs of their

disappeared An enforced disappearance (or forced disappearance) is the secret abduction or imprisonment of a person with the support or acquiescence of a state followed by a refusal to acknowledge the person's fate or whereabouts with the intent of placing ...

loved ones in their hands. Sting was accompanied by

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

, Fareed Haque and

Mark Knopfler Mark Freuder Knopfler OBE (born 12 August 1949) is a British musician. He was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits from 1977 to 1995, and he is the one of the two members who stayed during the band's existence ...

on guitar, by

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on the saxophone, and with

Rubén Blades Rubén Blades Bellido de Luna (born July 16, 1948), known professionally as Rubén Blades (, but in Panama and within the family), is a Panamanian musician, singer, composer, actor, activist, and politician, performing musically most often in th ...

providing additional Spanish vocals.

Song information

Sting explained his song as a symbolic gesture of protest against the Chilean dictator

Augusto Pinochet Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006) was a Chilean military officer and politician who was the dictator of Military dictatorship of Chile, Chile from 1973 to 1990. From 1973 to 1981, he was the leader ...

whose regime killed thousands of people between 1973 and 1990. This song was recorded in both English (with some spoken Spanish words by the Panamanian salsa singer,

) and Spanish (with additional lyrics by Roberto Livi). This latter version was titled "Ellas Danzan Solas" and was released on the 1988 EP ''

Nada como el sol ''Nada como el sol'' is an extended play by English musician Sting (musician), Sting, containing five songs from his second solo album ''Nothing Like the Sun (Sting album), ...Nothing Like the Sun'' sung in Spanish and Portuguese and published i ...

''. ''

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'' said that the song is "one of Sting's most powerful tunes, a tribute to the Chilean women who stand in mourning and protest for their missing sons and husbands."

Live versions

There are several live versions of this song, most notable from the

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(1988), from an

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concert. Sting later performed the song with an extended introduction in Spanish during the

Human Rights Now! Human Rights Now! was a worldwide tour of twenty benefit concerts on behalf of Amnesty International that took place over six weeks in 1988. Held not to raise funds but to increase awareness of both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on it ...

concerts that took place from 2 September - 15 October 1988. On October 13, 1990, Sting played the song at Estadio Nacional in

Santiago de Chile Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital city, capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's Chilean Central Valley, central valley and is the center ...

(with artists including

Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...

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Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada' Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor; , ; 8 December 1966 – 26 July 2023) was an Irish singer, songwriter, record producer and activist. Her debut studio album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and achieve ...

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and

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Cover versions

Jose Feliciano Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. Given name Mishnaic and Talmudic periods * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galilean * Jose ben Halafta ...

and the Vienna Symphonic Orchestra Project (Instrumental Version) (1988) from the album ''Jose Feliciano and Vienna Symphony Orchestra'',

Richie Havens Richard Pierce Havens (January 21, 1941 – April 22, 2013) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music encompassed elements of folk music, folk, soul music, soul (both of which he frequently cover song, covered), and rhythm and b ...

(1994) from the album '' Cuts to the Chase'', Bob Belden Ensemble (Instrumental Version) (1989) from the album ''Straight to My Heart: The Music of Sting'', Mark Hall from the album ''Acoustic Moods of Sting'', the

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

(1994) from the album ''Performs the Music of Sting'',

Lynn McDonald Lynn McDonald (born 15 July 1940) is a Canadian academic, climate activist and former Member of Parliament. She is a former president of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women and was the New Democratic Party (NDP) Member of ...

(2007) from the album ''It's High Time'',

Holly Near Holly Near (born June 6, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, teacher, and activist. Family Holly Near was born in Ukiah, California, United States, and was raised on a ranch in Potter Valley, California. She has two sisters, Ti ...

Mercedes Sosa Haydée Mercedes "La Negra" Sosa (; 9 July 1935
at BrainyHistory.com – 4 October 2009) was an

(English/Spanish Version) (1990) from the album ''Singer in the Storm'', Mariano Yanani (2005) from the album ''Babies go Sting'',

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...

(Spanish Version) (1989) from the album '' Diamonds & Rust in the Bullring'', and Birgitte Grimstad (Danish version) (1996) from the album ''Ord over grind, 51 Beste 1966-1994''.

Charts

References

External links

*Sting: ''Lyrics by Sting''. The Dial Press. 2007. *Marjorie Agosín: ''Tapestries of hope, threads of love: the arpillera movement in Chile''. Rowman & Littlefield, 2007. *''

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