LOS JAIVAS

These recordings were some of the earliest for LOS JAIVAS after relocating to the city of Zárate, on the banks of the tropical Paraná River located northwest of Buenos Aires. The album featured seven tracks at just over 39 minutes with the A side consisting of formal compositions and the B side exhibiting the same improvisational folk jams that LOS JAIVAS featured on its first two albums.

The album is a strange mix of LOS JAIVAS' indigenous folk and rock andino along with the more psychedelic folk leanings of MANDUKA that incorporated the MPB (música popular brasileira) that dominated Brazil in the 1970s. The album's lyrics included both the Spanish and Portugues languages and the two artists successfully blended their idiosyncratic styles into a veritable blend of pan-South American fusion.

LOS SUEÑOS DE AMERICA comes off as a sorta musical tug-a-war between the Chilean sounds of the cueca ("Date una vuelta en el aire") and Andean folk rhythms ("La Centinela") however for the most part it seems MANDUKA's Brazilian musical style dominates the album's trajectory with the sounds of samba, bossa nova and tropicalía threatening to usurp control however a veritable truce is declared with the second side of the album where both nationalities are suspended for a true adventure into a world of freeform freak folk.

"Traguito de Ron" starts off the improvisational B side and sounds like some forest ritual with a bubbling cauldron of boiling water accompanying tribal drumming, detached vocals offering a bizarre contrapuntal effect and the sputtering of flutes and other sounds that add improvisational icing on the cake. The 12-minute title track follows in similar fashion only rocks the indigenous pan flute and Andean folk sounds.

The title track sounds a lot like what was heard on the LOS JAIVAS' debut "El Volantín" The track drifts from melodic folk music to more crazed ritual style madness that sounds like a ceremonial gathering. By far the wildest track the band ever recorded. The album ends with "Primer Encuentro Latinoamericano De La Soledad," which is a short live track and features a robust audience participation showcasing the public's enthusiasm with LOS JAIVAS.

While certainly not their creative peak nor a proper album which connects the first chapter of LOS JAIVAS' 70s run with the 80s, LOS SUEÑOS DE AMERICA is very much of interest for lovers of freak folk who are also enthralled with indigenous world music sounds. The mix of the Brazilian and Chilean makes this one utterly unique and despite the clash of cultures at play, the two artists get along very well together. While not as essential as the albums that came before or arrive after, this one is very much of interest for true LOS JAIVAS fans as its adds a whole other dimension to the band's rich stylistic approach with the collaborative efforts of MANDUKA on board. Personally i love the improv tracks the best.

The next album to appear was the 1977 release CANCIÓN DEL SUR which found the band exploring the vaster wealth of indigenous sounds of the southern regions of South America particularly Patagonia. Having toured through various Latin American countries since "El Indio," LOS JAIVAS were veritable ethnomusicologists and researched and then incorporated the various stylistic differences between regions and nation states. While expanding its native Chilean heritage to include the greater pan-Latin American sound spectrum, LOS JAIVAS also added the moog synthesizer to the progressive rock aspects that had steadily been increasing since the band's earliest improvisational recordings.

Given all the diverse influences that went into this album's making, CANCIÓN DEL SUR sounds less cohesive than its predecessor with influences ranging from Uruguayan traditions with "Dum Dum Tambora" to the Patagonian folklore that inspired the title track. Not forgetting its own heritage, the track "La Vida Mágica, Ay Sí!" begins the album with a salute to the Chilean cueca while "Canción para los Pájaros" showcases the tribal sounds of the Amazon. The longest track, the all instrumental "Danzas" evokes a bit of some of the more experimental approaches of the past with a "heartbeat" style of percussive drive accompanied by a Western modern classical musical approach that allows the indigenous pan flute Andean folk flavors to commingle with a stronger European dominated recipe. While the guitar playing is clearly not the dominant feature on CANCIÓN DEL SUR, the Santana inspired Latin rock guitar sweeps are allowed off the leash.

The closing "Frescura Antigua" follows in the footsteps of previous albums by offering an unadulterated track of pure indigenous folk music. The later CD re-releases feature several bonus tracks that offer even more insight into the band's explorations during this period. The band would soon leave Argentina and relocate to France where it would begin its new chapter that would change the ratio of indigenous folk to the dominance of European flavored progressive rock. This album was well received but not quite as popular as "El Indio" which offered a perfection that this album lacks. While that album feels cohesive from beginning to end, this one on the other hand feels more scattered as if the band had spent too much time promoting itself and touring rather than focusing on crafting strong compositions.


Overall this is a decent album but feels more like a space filler than an album that was as well crafted as previous ones. Clearly the band's attention had been splintered to the point where it couldn't put all its energy into the songwriting process and while all the tracks are totally listenable and even pleasant, they don't seem as innovative or cutting edge as "El Indio" and actually seems like it should've preceded that album rather than follow. The next few years would find the band in transition with only one collaborative effort emerging in 1979 with Brazilian folk singer Manduka before the band starting a totally new chapter starting with its prog fan favorite "Alturas de Machu Picchu" which would be released in 1981. While a nice tribute to the various ethnic groups scattered across the southern regions of the South American continent, CANCIÓN DEL SUR just doesn't hold up as well as previous releases.

3.5 rounded down

This marked a period of great change for the band which lost bassist Mario Mutis who returned to Chile for personal reasons and in his stead Julio Anderson joined the team and together the band crafted its best selling album of its career and one that remains one of the top albums of all Latin America. The most noticeable difference between EL INDIO and the self-titled releases that preceded is the excellent upgrade in musicianship which found the band developing more technical chops and adding increasing elements of symphonic prog and Western classical. While the Andean folk music remains in the forefront with the strong melodies leading the way, the instrumental breaks are fortified with knottier prog workouts and the album placed the proper stepping stones for the more sophisticated albums that would follow. The closing track "Tarka Y Ocarina" took LOS JAIVAS into full-blown progressive rock territory.

Like the majority of successful Latin American albums of the 1970s, EL INDIO was overtly political and once out of the direct intervention of the newly established dictatorship that Chile experienced, LOS JAIVAS was free to deliver more biting messages. The opening "Pregón to illuminate" was a salute to the fiery spirit of neighboring Paraguay with musical melodies inspired by the Paraguayan malambo "Guyrá Campagna," a traditional protest song. Keyboardist Gabriel Parra matured nicely on EL INDIO showcasing his Chopin-inspired piano playing at the beginning of "Guajira Cósmica" and continues the virtuoso performances in both the context of classical workouts as well as psychedelic symphonic prog. "Un Día de tus Días" delivers a more straight forward indigenous folk albeit with rock elements with a stripped down approach that offers a sampling of Andean instrumentation before the band unleashes its first true progressive multi-suite track in the form of "Tarka y Ocarina."

The closing 13 minute plus track "Tarka y Ocarina" is the highlight for prog lovers with its division into three parts and an emphasis on classical piano runs and a display of the band's creative ingenuity fortified by extraordinary leaps of virtuosity and serves as a mini-opera of sort. While held together by the thread of visions of Latin American landscapes which the track serves somewhat as a soundtrack, the three segments showcase different musical ideas but held together by a subtle connective theme. The first part "Diablada" evokes the Andean mountainous regions of Chile, Peru and Bolivia and characterized by energetic piano rolls, upbeat bass and drum beats and an ambitious journey through variations that implement indigenous instruments. The second part "Trote" focuses more on the traditional ceremonial practices of the pre-Columbian Quechua and Aymara cultures while "Kotaíki" which means "love amulet" ends it all with a sensual mix of harp, piano, flue and sounds of Guaraní folklore.

A masterwork of Latin American progressive folk and rock, EL INDIO is indeed one of the many highlights in the works of LOS JAIVAS which found the band coming of age after a decade of mostly indulging in freeform improvisational approaches. The band had graduated into a bonafide top dog of creative compositional fortitude. This album provides all the right ingredients for attaining the status of classic. It features anthemic short songs that offer hope and inspiration, it offers experimental deviations from the traditions of Andean music as well as successfully integrating the world of European progressive rock into its already experimental dominion. Needless to say, if you don't have the slightest appreciation for Andean folk music then this will not appeal to you in the least but if you can dial in on the cosmic frequencies of the High Andes then this album will make a lot more sense as a mystical evocation of the musical journeys of the ancestors fortified with the contemporary experimentation that the 70s excelled in.

The band's second eponymous album which has been nicknamed and then renamed LA VENTANA emerged two years later and found the band shifting into more recognizable song structures that deemphasized the spontaneous improvisations and rather crafted a tighter blend of sounds where indigenous Andean musical flavors blended seamlessly with the Northern hemisphere sounds of psychedelic and progressive folk. LA VENTANA emerged early in 1973 before the brutal military coup that installed the dictator Pinochet into power forcing LOS JAIVAS to flee to Argentina before eventually making their way to France. Due to the album's successful hit "Todos Juntos," the album has been officially released over the years under that title as well but still is primarily referred to as LA VENTANA. Likewise the album has been released with a varying number of tracks over its series of reissues with the first pressing featuring seven and subsequent releases with eleven.

Focusing on a much more accessible sound (mostly), LA VENTANA showcased a variety of styles throughout its 40 minute run but incorporated a number of commercial sounding singles that allowed the band to experience its first taste of success. The single "Todos Juntos" showcased Chile's indigenous Andean folk music as the primary melody but also implemented a martial drumming style that gave it a Western sort of rock and roll flavoring. The anthemic themes of freedom and liberty propelled the single to become a huge radio hit and one of the best selling singles that has ever been recorded in Chile. A very catchy tune with somewhat of a Santana-esque guitar presence, the single was followed by more singles including "Mira Niñita" and "Indio Hermano," the latter of which featured an almost military march style of busy percussion but fortified with catchy folk melodies (courtesy of those distinct pan flutes) and hefty guitar workouts.

The most experimental track comes towards the end with the near 10-minute "Ciclo Vital" which takes on a darker impending doomy vibe that almost sounds like some sort of ritualistic musical affair but what makes it even weirder is it takes on a tone of modern classical music with schizoid piano rolls. The incessant drum roll throughout the entire track provides a monotony and dread that allows the improvisational parts to play upon. This track is more in line with the debut album as it lacks a distinct melody and is characterized by a tribal drumming style that allows bizarre experimentation to dance around. Likewise the other long near 10-minute track "Los Caminos Que Se Abren" follows a similar path but more upbeat and is accompanied by a full chamber orchestra. The album ends as the debut did with a short snippet of unadulterated Andean folk music.

To my ears this earliest stage of LOS JAIVAS is every bit as interesting as the 80s releases that wove in more robust aspects of progressive rock. While at this stage the indigenous folk flavors were much more dominant, these compositions were highly experimental in their approach and featured aspects of Latin rock, European folk and psychedelic rock as well as moments of improvisation freeform moments reminiscent of the debut. This album sounds more cohesive though and the tracks flow together quite well as the martial percussion remains the predominant skeletal system for the entire experimental folk and rock sounds to coalesce around. This second release is actually quite brilliant as it offers a variety of both accessible melodic tunes and crafty experimental surprises. LOS JAIVAS truly was one of the most talented bands ever to have emerged from Chile and these early albums are not to be missed.

Despite forming as far back as 1963, LOS JAIVOS didn't release its first album until 1971 however this first of three eponymously titled albums was actually recorded between 1969 and 1970 when the group engaged in a series of varies experimental sessions. The album has been nicknamed EL VOLANTÍN which refers to the album cover art of a type of kite used in Chile that is mainly raised during the month of September for the celebration of national holidays with the most common design being that of the Chilean flag. The band developed a unique style during the years prior to recording in which each musical instrument generated its own unique style and atmosphere that when played together created a totally new style of folk music often augmented with the help of audience participation. The music was highly improvisational with no actual songs written or ever performed the same.

Basically this earliest debut release memorializes the band's unique improvisational approach to traditional folk music before it began fusing the local folk flavors with psychedelic rock and the ever more complex world of progressive rock which the band would soon adopt and gain international attention. More accurately EL VOLANTÍN is the band's first attempt at formal compositional writing but utilized instrumental improvisations of past recordings without defined lyrics or melody. The vocals were later added to bring the world of harmony and melody into the band's sound and therefore the clash of the elements makes this debut album rather unique in the discography of LOS JAIVAS. This album featured in effect a transition stage that found LOS JAIVAS exiting its era of totally improvisational folk rhythms and tribal drumming to a band that slowly but surely added the world of psychedelia, rock and prog to its overall design.

Despite being an improvisational type of album and claimed by the band NOT to be very melodic, on the contrary it is chock full of beautiful melodies with Andean flutes, traditional instrumentation and looped guitar sequences. The improvisation part in this case doesn't mean a series of abstract noise but rather melodic chunks that are repeated so that various instruments can improvise around them. These recording sessions featured five musicians but dozens of instruments including: guitars, bass, drums, recorder, ocarina, congas, xylophone, bongos, cultrun, piano, güiro, rasca de metal, tambourine, maracas, and more! The opening "Cacho" sets the stage for repetitive ethnic grooves accompanied by a very psychedelic keyboard sound that fits right in with the classic 60s moog and Hammond organ sounds although keyboards seem to be uncredited.

The album continues its ethnic musical expansiveness with each track delivering a completely new approach however the strangest track on board is surely the 8 1/2 minute "Ultimo Día" which features a very melancholic approach that begins with a thundering bass groove, guitar sweeps sounding a lot like what Robert Fripp would develop on future King Crimson albums and a very scary organ sound. All of this sounds like a type of no wave in the vein of DNA years ahead and a continent away of the experimental cyclical loops that emerged in the short-lived New York City scene. To make it even stranger ethnic music sounds accompany the dissonant piano frenzies and the weirdo guitar antics. This track also displays extremely wild vocal delves sounding as crazed as Captain Beefheart but less grizzled. After that grand finale climax of excessive freakery, the band attempts a quick palette cleanse with a 25-second traditional bolero before ending the album!

While i've been familiar with the better known 80s works of LOS JAIVAS i had never really dived into their earliest endeavors and to my surprise these primeval expressions of creativity are actually extremely interesting! One could easily compare this first album to the works of the Brazilian psychedelic trippers Os Mutantes and their fractured consciousness compositions that were all unified by a single element. While these tracks are sort of a composite of sounds, usually a singular rhythm, melodic loops or unified pattern keeps them from sounding like gibberish. Basically the instruments are syncopated in extremely creative ways which makes them independent of each other yet crafts a very unique sum of the parts. This debut album was infinitely more interesting than i ever expected and am surprised how little attention it gets for its role in South America's original outsider weirdo music. This album would certainly qualify for a slot on the Nurse With Wound list, that's for sure!

Alturas de Machu Picchu (Heights of Machu Picchu) is a cosmic experience that has a certain magic to it. The whole album is based on Pablo Neruda's poem of the same name, which tackles on themes of mortality, loss, the human condition, all the while being a stunning tribute to the ancient Indigenous people. This poem is legendary in Chile, and its typically considered a national masterpiece. So much that Los Jaivas didn't even dare to make a musical adaptation at first until they were convinced otherwise, and boy was the band able to do such an equally stunning work.

The music is a perfect translation of the lines that Pablo has written down, perfectly combined with Gato Alquinta's powerful singing. Some of the highlights include the epic song La Poderosa Muerte (The Mighty Death), the vastly underrated Antigua América (Ancient America), and the powerful finale Sube a Nacer Conmigo Hermano (Climb Up to be Born With Me Brother). All of the songs together flow together like smooth butter, and I mean very smooth butter. Alturas de Machu Picchu is a must listen for any prog rock fan. And if you haven't listened to this album yet, do me a favor and give it a spin! You won't regret it. Deserved 5/5.

A part of the Latino prog family, Los Jaivas is a Chilean progressive folk group that started in 1963, but never got their foot into the door until their 1971 release of El volantín, and since then has been exploring the progressive folk camp in their own unique, and very stylish ways. They combine psychedelia, indigenous Andean music, and symphonic prog outlets to really shape their sounds. Up until recently though, I have never really listened to any of their works, though that isn't to say I haven't been at least somewhat interested in what they may have to put out, mostly stemming from RYM ranking their 1975 record of El Indio quite highly. However it wouldn't be until a friend on Discord recommending that I should check out this record first, and I got to say, I am glad I got this recommendation.

Alturas de Machu Pichu is the 6th record from Los Jaivas, and their most well known work aside from El Indio and Canción del sur, and with good reason. Alturas de Machu Pichu is without a doubt a fantastic album front to back, at least to my ears. Being a concept album about Pablo Neruda's The Heights Of Machu Picchu, the band is really pushing the prog envelope, utilizing poetic semblance and sound that really makes you feel like you are ascending a mountain.

To me, this is the Latino answer to Harmonium's Les Cinq Saisons, being this majestic, pastoral, and almost otherworldly record. I think what I truly like about this album is this very passionate energy that is being put forth, with each song having their own different flavors of magic that really give me a sense that the band truly loved creating music, music they could call their own. This is exemplified through Claudio Parra's piano. It just has this very bouncy and freeform feel, which merged with Gabriel's, Gato's, and Mario's vocals create a vibrant palette of Latino rock, folk, and progressive rock music.

Another thing I like is something I said before, that being this album feeling like taking a hike through the mountains. The softer moments carry out a beautiful aura of nature, such as flowers and plantlife, with the more heavier/intense moments showcasing a steep, treacherous path that the listener has to go through to reach the top. From Del Aire Al Aire to Final, the album scales further and further across the mountain, and each turn, each song, I feel rewarded. It really is a powerful experience, I cannot really put a dollar on that.

I really only have one very VERY minor inconvenience towards this record, and that is that I feel like the B side of the record isn't as strong as the A side. It isn't to say the music on the B side is not good, in fact songs on the B side are really great, but compared to the A side having a beautiful opener like Aire Al Aire, the 11 minute extravaganza La Poderosa Muerte, and the very lovely Amor Americano, it is no surprise that I feel like the B side feels a little weaker comparatively. Though, this is a minor setback in the way of a really excellent album, so don't let this discourage you from giving this record a shot.

Definitely a must listen for any prog fan. If you enjoy prog folk music like Sui Generis, Harmonium, or Gryphon then you'd love this record. It is truly a one of a kind album, and one of the best in the 80s run of progressive rock and folk history.

If you read my review of Bubu´s "Anabelas", you will see that I consider this one slightly better. But "Alturas de Machu Picchu" is second only to this one, I consider it even better than my beloved "Influências" from Marco Antonio Araujo. Let´s discuss reasons for it.

First, the listener must consider historical context around "Los Jaivas"; very important the reading of its biography here in progarchives or in any other source. It has a directly relation with Parra´s family, which has in Violeta Parra some of the most important artist in Chilean history. Until today the band has Parra as surname of their members. The other issue about them is the political problems they faced with authoritarian governments in Chile and in Argentina; only finding peace in France. Being under political pressure makes artist to decrease or to increase A LOT their muse, and in my perception "Los Jaivas" was able to align their musical skills with desire of freedom; yielding us with an excellent artistic achievement.

Talking about the music itself, one point I would like to comment is the strong amount of folk contend in this album. We can hear clearly music with roots in the Andean mountains, as long as we see that insertion of it throughout this album in a very proper way. Several typical instruments were used, including that famous kind of flute that was presented to common knowledge by Simon&Garfunkel in in the song "El Condor Pasa".

This is a must have album. Not only because of artistic quality presented here, but also because of the importance this band has to Chilean culture. If you have to have an album from Chile, it must be "Alturas de Machu Picchu". And you should also have "Anabelas" and "Influências". I strongly recommend you this three five stars albums.