Los Jaivas | Artist

Los Jaivas is a Chilean folk-rock group formed 1963 in Viña del Mar, Chile, by three brothers; Claudio Parra (piano, organ, accordion, synthesizer, keyboards), Eduardo Parra (keyboards, synthesizer) and Gabriel Parra (drums, percussion); with the addition of Mario Mutis (bass, guitar, flute, ocarina, trutruca) and Eduardo "Gato" Alquinta (vocals, guitar, flute, ocarina, mandolin, bass, harmonica, charango). Their musical style blends progressive rock with South American ancestral folk music. The band took refuge in Argentina after the military dictatorship in Chile. In 1977, they relocated to France for a long period. The first major change in the band occurred in 1988 when Gabriel died in a car crash and his daughter Juanita took his place on drums. In January 2003, the main singer, Gato Alquinta, died of a heart attack while swimming in the sea. Gato's three sons Ankatu (guitar), Eloy (saxophone) and Aurora (vocals) soon joined the band to replace him. Aurora left shortly after, and Eloy died of a heart attack in 2004. Ankatu, is still a member. The band, who enjoy hero status in their home country, have released 15 studio albums to-date. Standouts include Los Jaivas (1975), Canción del sur (1977), Alturas de Machu Pichu (1981) and Obras de Violeta Parra (1984). Alturas de Machu Pichu is regarded by many critics as a masterpiece of Andean folk-rock.

Artist Website: losjaivas.net

Featured Albums: Los Jaivas

Related Artists: Claudio Parra