Los Jaivas are one of the most important and beloved bands in the history of Chilean and Latin American music — pioneers of a singular sound that fused Andean folk with progressive rock. Formed in 1963 and active for over sixty years, they wove traditional instruments like the quena and charango into electric rock and sweeping symphonic arrangements, creating something wholly their own. Their 1981 masterpiece “Alturas de Macchu Picchu” remains a landmark of South American prog.

The short version

Los Jaivas are a Chilean band, formed in Viña del Mar in 1963, who pioneered the fusion of Andean folk music with progressive rock — a style often called ‘Andes prog.’ Built around the Parra brothers and singer Gato Alquinta, their music blends native instruments and folk melody with electric guitar, piano, Moog and rock rhythm. The five albums here span their classic era, from 1973’s “La Ventana” to 1982’s “Aconcagua,” centred on their towering 1981 work “Alturas de Macchu Picchu.”

A uniquely South American prog

Los Jaivas grew out of a teenage group called The High Bass, formed in 1963 by the three Parra brothers — Eduardo, Claudio and Gabriel — with childhood friends Gato Alquinta and Mario Mutis. They began playing boleros and bossa nova before reinventing themselves in the late 1960s as a wildly improvisational band rooted in Latin American tradition. Renaming themselves Los Jaivas in 1969, they forged a sound unlike any European prog band: not a copy of Yes or Genesis, but a distinctly Andean voice.

Folk instruments meet electric rock

What makes Los Jaivas unmistakable is their fusion. Traditional Andean instruments — quena, zampoña, charango and hand drums — intertwine with electric guitar, bass, piano, Fender Rhodes and Mini-Moog, sung in Spanish with great romantic intensity. Their music ranges from short folk songs to long, symphonic suites, full of warmth, drama and a deep connection to the land. Pablo Neruda’s poetry and the Andes themselves run through their greatest work, giving their prog a cultural depth few bands have matched.

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Exile and a masterpiece at Machu Picchu

Like many Chilean artists, Los Jaivas fled into exile after the 1973 military coup, living first in Argentina — where their 1975 album, known as “El Indio,” was a huge success — and then in France. It was in Paris that they recorded their masterpiece, “Alturas de Macchu Picchu” (1981), a concept album setting Pablo Neruda’s epic poem to music. A television special filmed among the ruins of Machu Picchu, narrated by Mario Vargas Llosa, sealed its legend. Today it is considered a Chilean national treasure and one of the finest Latin American albums ever made.

Album by album

A selection of Los Jaivas albums from their classic era, in order. Tap any title to explore.

The players

Los Jaivas have always been a family band, built around the three Parra brothers — keyboardist and lyricist Eduardo, pianist Claudio and drummer Gabriel — alongside the charismatic singer and guitarist Gato Alquinta and bassist Mario Mutis. Two of these founders have since died: drummer Gabriel Parra in 1988 and singer Gato Alquinta in 2003. The band continued through every loss — Gabriel’s daughter Juanita Parra took over on drums, and Alquinta’s children joined the fold. Claudio Parra and Mario Mutis still carry the band today, while eldest founder Eduardo Parra stepped back from touring in 2009.

Where to start

There is only one place to begin: “Alturas de Macchu Picchu” (1981), their undisputed masterpiece and one of the great Latin American albums. From there, explore the earlier “La Ventana” (1973), home to beloved songs like ‘Todos Juntos,’ and the richly textured “Canción del Sur” (1977). Together they reveal a band that turned Andean folk and progressive rock into something timeless.

Why they still matter

Los Jaivas matter as the band that gave progressive rock a genuinely South American voice — proof that prog could grow from Andean roots rather than British or American ones. More than a prog band, they became a cultural institution in Chile, carrying folk tradition, poetry and national identity into rock. Their masterpiece endures as a touchstone of Latin American art, and after sixty years they remain active and cherished. For anyone exploring prog beyond Europe, Los Jaivas are essential.

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