Urubamba (group)
Encyclopedia
Urubamba was a music group consisting of musicians from Argentina and Uruguay, founded in 1956 by Jorge Milchberg. Urubamba, at the time known as "Los Incas" introduced Paul Simon
to Andean music in the mid sixties, and then toured and recorded with Simon ("El Condor Pasa
").
Urubamba featured the Argentines Jorge Milchberg, charango, Uña Ramos
and Jorge Cumbo
on the quena
flute and the Uruguayan Emilio Arteaga playing guitar and bombo. Juan Dalera replaces Uña Ramos in the second Simon's world tour.
Milchberg's style stayed close to the folklore of the altiplanos (highlands) of Peru
, Argentina
, Bolivia
, Ecuador
and Chile
, but two albums, Un Pedazo del Infinito and Urubamba are remarkable due to their esoteric, almost meditative moods. Milchberg's later recordings, on the French Buda label, feature him as a soloist on charango
("Charango") or in the group that reverted to the original name of "Los Incas" ("Los Incas en Concert" and "El Ultimo") with his son, Olivier Milchberg, accompanied by cello, guitar, pan pipes (zampoñas), and drum (bombo
). On "El Ultimo" -- recorded forty-six years after the group's founding -- the personnel consisted of Jorge and Olivier Milchberg with Lupe Vega (voice), Juan Dalera (flute), Moises Arnaiz (guitar), Jorge Trasante (percussion), and Rob Yaffe (cello).
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
to Andean music in the mid sixties, and then toured and recorded with Simon ("El Condor Pasa
El Cóndor Pasa (song)
El Cóndor Pasa is a song from the zarzuela El Cóndor Pasa by the Peruvian composer Daniel Alomía Robles, written in 1913 and based on traditional Andean folk tunes....
").
Urubamba featured the Argentines Jorge Milchberg, charango, Uña Ramos
Uña Ramos
Mariano Uña Ramos is an Argentinian musician. He was born in the region of Humahuaca, Argentina, close to the border with Bolivia. He is a renowned Andean musician and composer, a virtuoso of the Quena , the end blown bamboo flute of the Andean Altiplano.- Discography :CDsLe Chant Du MondeLa...
and Jorge Cumbo
Jorge Cumbo
Jorge Cumbo is an Argentine musician who plays the Andean quena flute, combining jazz and Argentine folklore. After early encounters with folklore under his mentor Chango Farías Gomez, and three years at the conservatory, Cumbo discovered the quena flute...
on the quena
Quena
The quena is the traditional flute of the Andes. Usually made of bamboo or wood, it has 6 finger holes and one thumb hole and is open on both ends. To produce sound, the player closes the top end of the pipe with the flesh between his chin and lower lip, and blows a stream of air downward, along...
flute and the Uruguayan Emilio Arteaga playing guitar and bombo. Juan Dalera replaces Uña Ramos in the second Simon's world tour.
Milchberg's style stayed close to the folklore of the altiplanos (highlands) of Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, but two albums, Un Pedazo del Infinito and Urubamba are remarkable due to their esoteric, almost meditative moods. Milchberg's later recordings, on the French Buda label, feature him as a soloist on charango
Charango
The charango is a small Andean stringed instrument of the lute family, 66 cm long, traditionally made with the shell of the back of an armadillo. Primarily played in traditional Andean music, and is sometimes used by other Latin American musicians. Many contemporary charangos are now made with...
("Charango") or in the group that reverted to the original name of "Los Incas" ("Los Incas en Concert" and "El Ultimo") with his son, Olivier Milchberg, accompanied by cello, guitar, pan pipes (zampoñas), and drum (bombo
Bombo
Bombo is a British computer game published by Rino for the Commodore 64.-Plot:Taken from the game's instructions:A wave of insurrection has left the earth littered with bombs primed to explode and destroy mankind.Your commission is to clear the pyramids of ancient Egypt, castles of medieval Britain...
). On "El Ultimo" -- recorded forty-six years after the group's founding -- the personnel consisted of Jorge and Olivier Milchberg with Lupe Vega (voice), Juan Dalera (flute), Moises Arnaiz (guitar), Jorge Trasante (percussion), and Rob Yaffe (cello).