CorreosChile and the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage unveiled a postage stamp dedicated to Cecilia Pantoja, known as Cecilia, la Incomparable, this Wednesday, October 14, at Pereira Palace in Santiago. The singer died on July 24, 2023, at age 79.
According to Cooperativa, 40 thousand stamps were issued, priced at 1,000 pesos each. The series also includes postcards of the singer of "Baño de mar a medianoche" and "Aleluya".
You can buy them starting Wednesday on CorreosMarket, Correos' online store, and at branches in Santiago, Valparaíso, Viña del Mar and Concepción. According to Radio Universidad de Chile, sales will gradually expand to other post offices, although no dates or branches were announced.
The design is by Mauricio Navarro. It shows Cecilia performing live, with blue, purple and pink tones, lights and geometric shapes.
The issue is part of the Chilean Music Day 2026 program. Minister of Cultures Francisco Undurraga explained that this year they wanted to honor Cecilia alongside Violeta Parra. Activities began with TVN's screening of a film about the singer's life and continued on October 4 with a tribute in Tomé, the city where she was born.
"It is more than a philatelic item (…) it is recognition of a fundamental figure in Chilean music and culture," Undurraga said, according to Cooperativa. Philately is the collection and study of postage stamps.
CorreosChile General Manager Ignacio Liberman said the stamps "have the ability to preserve our history." He mentioned other recent issues aimed at new audiences, such as the one dedicated to 31 Minutos.
At the ceremony, Mariel Mariel sang "Compromiso" and "Baño de mar a medianoche," two songs from Cecilia's repertoire. Three outfits the artist wore in the final years of her career were also displayed.
Yasmín Bau, Cecilia's former manager, who attended on behalf of the family, described the tribute as "a tremendous reminder" for a country that, in her view, often forgets its artists.
Mariel Mariel, who now promotes that repertoire, said she had promised Cecilia to revive her songs so that her catalog could be heard "in a concert from beginning to end." The stamps are now on sale.
