Los Angeles-based ensemble Huayucaltia has delved into the entire range of Latin American music, moving between its traditional roots and present-day expressions. The group fuses Andean folk traditions with jazz, classical elements, and nueva cancion, repeatedly pushing the boundaries of what their repertoire can encompass. In 1989 the band received a NAIRD award for Best Latin Music Album in recognition of Horizontes, and critics have repeatedly praised their singular treatment of Latin music. The Nashville Banner described the ensemble as “passionate, sensual and exotic. They mesh various traditional Latin American and melodies into a distinct modern sound unlike the music of any particular culture or time.” Writing about the 1988 release Caminos, CD Review observed, “If you heard (this album) without first listening to Incan traditional music, you may not realize how polished, how virtuosic, how cosmoplitan, this updated expression of South American culture has become.”
The personnel of Huayucaltia reflect the same breadth found in their music. Taking its name from the Nahuatl term that signifies both unity and brotherhood, the collective draws musicians and vocalists from Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, and the United States. Peruvian-born Ciro Hurtado serves as musical director, producer, and guitarist; previously associated with Strunz And Farah, he has maintained a parallel career of solo performances and recordings. His wife, Veracruz, Mexico-born Cindy Harding, performs on requinto Jarocho, Venezuelan cuatro, quenas, zamponas, and flutes while also singing; she co-founded Sabia and recently completed the album Conjunto JArdin with her sister Libby. Antonio Ezkaurilza, who earned a degree in classical guitar performance, simultaneously belongs to the Andean ensembles Ollantay and Nazca. Drummer Julio “Jimmy” Ledezma, trained at the Scolas Do Sambo in Brazil and Argentina, has worked in the United States since 1979; in addition to anchoring the rhythm section for Huayucaltia, he appears with Arco Iris and has collaborated with Lalo Shifrin and the Glendale Philharmonic Orchestra. Hernan Pinilla plays mohocenos, tarkas, sikus, quena-quenas, jula-julas, pinquillo, zampona, quena, quenacho, bombo, charango, and additional percussion instruments; he helped establish Grupo Tumbaga and also performs with Taller Experimental De Musica Bitagui.
