Los Kjarkas

Founded in Capinota, in the Cochabamba department of Bolivia, Los Kjarkas has developed since the mid-1970s a repertoire rooted in Bolivian Andean folklore, encompassing huayño, cueca, bailecito, saya and popular songs with highly worked vocal arrangements. The story of Los Kjarkas begins around the Hermosa brothers and Edgar Villarroel; after several reorganizations the group secured a lasting presence on stages in Bolivia and then in South America, Europe, Japan and the United States. After Bolivia in 1976, Los Kjarkas refined a style that blends traditional melodies, choral writing and Andean instrumentation, with records such as Kutimuy (1979), Cóndor Mallku (1980) and Canto a la mujer de mi pueblo (1981). Their repertoire also circulated well beyond the folkloric sphere: Llorando se fue, composed within the group, was later adapted internationally as Lambada, giving rise to a famous legal dispute. Marked by the death of composer Ulises Hermosa in 1992, Los Kjarkas continued with Hermanos in 1993, and new generations of musicians joined the ensemble over the years. Los Kjarkas also released 35 años in 2006 and 45 Años La Leyenda Viva in 2016.