One of his best-known creations comprise the lyrics for Tio Caiman, made famous by the Chilean group Quilapayún.
Quilapayún Chante Neruda (1983) by Chilean Folk Band Quilapayún contains three songs based on lyrics from Canto General
Prominent in his repertoire for vocalists are the cantata Santa María de Iquique (a milestone of the New Chilean Song movement), the Canto para una Semilla (Song for a Seed) based on poems by Violeta Parra (recorded by Inti-illimani, Isabel Parra and Carmen Bunster), and a symphony, Los Tres Tiempos de América, which was premiered and recorded in 1988 by Quilapayún with the Spanish singer Paloma San Basilio and an orchestra of Spanish musicians.