The band was formed in 1967 by a group of university students and it acquired widespread popularity in Chile for their song Venceremos.
Their name means 'Sun of the Illimani': Illimani, in Aymara language, is the name of a mountain in the Bolivian Andes and it means 'Golden Eagle'.
They are perhaps the best internationally known members of the Nueva canción movement.
In 2001 there was a controversial split of the group, which started when three key members left the group (José Seves, Horacio Durán and Horacio Salinas).
At the moment of the 11 September, 1973 Chilean coup they were on tour in Europe and were unable to return to their country where their music was proscribed by the ruling military junta of Augusto Pinochet.