Bolivia’s music reflects the country’s extraordinary Indigenous and regional diversity, from Andean panpipes and charango to valley traditions, dance music, and influential modern folk ensembles.
The music of Bolivia has a long history. Out of all the Andean countries, Bolivia remains perhaps the most culturally linked to the indigenous peoples. Like most of its neighbors, Bolivia was long dominated by Spain and its attendant culture. Even after independence, Bolivian music was largely based on European forms. In 1952, a revolution established nationalistic reforms which included cultural and political awareness of the Aymara and Quechua natives. Intellectuals in the country began wearing ponchos and otherwise associating themselves with native cultures, and the new government promoted native folklore by, among other methods, establishing a folklore department in the Bolivian Ministry of Education.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia’s “Music of Bolivia” article.
Los Kjarkas’ “Llorando se fue” is one of Bolivia’s most internationally influential songs, rooted in the group’s modern presentation of Andean folk music.
Guadalquivir’s celebration of Bolivia’s valleys adds a regional perspective beyond the better-known highland Andean sound.