ALTURAS DE MACHU PICCHU

What would it sound like if you combined symphonic prog with Andean folk influences? Well, "Alturas De Macchu Picchu" by Los JAIVAS answers that question. This album is an incredible find for anyone who enjoys both progressive rock and traditional Peruvian, and Chilean, folk music. If you can imagine electric guitars, bass, drums, piano, and the Moog interacting with instruments like the cuatro, quena, and zamponia then you're in for a treat. "Alturas..." combines epic-length symphonic prog tracks, with shorter traditional Andean songs. In my opinion, the keyboardist really stands out when playing acoustic piano. He tends to mix pentatonic-based melodies with local rhythms, yet those melodies sound closer to Chinese classical folk more than American blues, or Eastern European folk. His style is unique in the world of rock. The other musicians are equally impressive, but I think most listeners will focus in on the excellent vocals. Anyway, this is one of the top 5 prog rock albums to come out of South America.