History of Music in Bolivia

The music of Bolivia has a long history, out of all the Andean countries, Bolivia remains possibly the most culturally related to the indigenous peoples. Unlike most of its neighbour, Bolivia was a long leading by Spain and also its attendant of culture. After their independence, the Bolivia music was largely based on the European forms and in the year 1952, a revolution was created nationalistic reforms which include the cultural and political awareness of the Aymara and Quechua inherent. The intellectuals in the country started wearing ponchos and otherwise associating themselves with an inherent cultures, and the current government promote inherent folklore, other methods that was established is the folklore department in the Bolivia Ministry of education.

 

source of picture: mkwhistles.com

The awareness of the inherent music, spirituality and art to continue into the 1960’s , in the year 1965, Edgar Yayo Jofre made a quartet call, which is the Los Jairas in La Paz. With Bolivian traditional music gaining popularity all over the country, Jofre along with Alfredo Domingue, Ernesto Cavour Julio Godoy, and Gilbert Favre used the traditional music in improved way to appeal to urban- dwellers and Europeans. Subsequently to the orchestras like Wara, Khanata, Paja Brava, Savia Andia. And especially the Los Kjarkas and Kalamarka that further helped to change this fusion, which followed the close but different path, orchestras and singers such as Luzmila Carpio, Ruphay, and Grupo Aymara that began touring through the abroad and gained the international praise for their compositions, tunes that have brought indigenous Bolivia culture and history to the world’s recognition.

Los K’jarkas comprise of the 3 brothers, the Hermosas, who play mainly Huayno, or more mainly on sayas. These are both dance music which influenced both the inherent forms as well as Africa music that is imported to Bolivia with slavery. Los K’jarkas are well- known internationally for their Caporales classic Llorando se fu which was accepted and changed to the famous beginning of the lambada dance craze of the 1980’s, along with the forro and carimbo in the northern Brazil. The song was spread by a French orchestra and resulted in a successful lawsuit from the Hermosa brothers. Kalamarka was originated in the year 1984 by Hugo Guitettez and Rodolfo Choque. They join traditional music instruments like the Zampona, Quena, Charango and Bombo with modern instruments making a beautiful musica andina. Their well-known songs are Cuando Florezca el Chuno and ama, ama, amazonas in the 1980’s, the Chilean nueva cancion was imported to Bolivia and changed into canto Nuevo which was spread by the performers such as Emma Junaro.

The folk of Bolivian (and other South American) musical instrument such as the charango, chrarangon, ronroco, hualaycho, zampona, quena, bombo, huancara, reco reco, chiapya box, pinquilo, tarka, toyos, pututu, Andean saxophone, and sheep hooves made into a type of shaker, as well as European musical instruments like the violin and guitar.

The musical forms like the Huayno, Bailecito, Kullawada, Tonada (or directly Tinku), Taquirari, Carnavalito, Lamento, Saya, Tuntuna, Taki Taki and Cueca are obviously featured in the Bolivia cultural music.