María Francesca Ancarola Saavedra, known as Francesca Ancarola, is a Chilean singer-songwriter who is considered a significant figure in the nueva canción movement. Ancarola graduated from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Chile in 1991 with a thesis on Chilean folk music. Her debut album, Que El Canto Tiene Sentido (1999), was followed by Pasaje de Ida y Vuelta (2000) and Lonquén – Tributo A Víctor Jara (2005), both of which won the Altazor Award for best alternative/jazz album. She has performed at international festivals, including the Lisbon Jazz Festival in 2001 and the CulturAmerica Festival in Pau, France, in 2009, and has collaborated with artists such as Carlos Aguirre, Hugo Fattoruso, and Antonio Restucci.
