Kuyayky
Encyclopedia
Kuyayky is one of the most popular and newly influential bands in Andean music
. The band has contributed to the prominence and revival of huayno
music from central Peru
. One of the few Andean music bands with a majority of female members. The band now resides in the United States
and gained a following from world music
fans for its traditional yet innovative style of Peruvian Music.
Kuyayky has struck a chord by rearranging and researching dozens of musical pieces from the precolonial and colonial periods in Latin America
, but have retained a clear emphasis on the music of central Peru. They are part of the Xauxa ayllu
of the Bonilla family.
. Kuyayky's original members are the Hurtado Bonilla siblings: Rubi Indira in guitar and first voice, Jose Luis in the mandolin and fourth voice, Yina in the charango
and second voice, Mariluz in the quena, sikus, cajón
and third voice, and Candy in the bombo leguero
and first voice. They have been known to collaborate with different musicians in distinct musical genres.
Kuyayky also founded the Kuyayky Foundation a non-governmental organization
that fosters cultural awareness and aids Andean youth through the online education program YachayWorld.
The band takes its name from the Quechua
language, which translates from the verb "kuyay" love, meaning "to love" or "solidarity".
In November 2006, the release of Kuyayky's new album was featured in an investigative report by Enrique Flor of Peruvian television newsmagazine
La Ventana Indiscreta on Frecuencia Latina
.
Andean music
Andean music comes from the general area inhabited by Quechuas, Aymaras and other peoples that lived roughly in the area of the Inca Empire prior to European contact. It includes folklore music of parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela...
. The band has contributed to the prominence and revival of huayno
Huayno
Huayno is a genre of popular Andean Music and dance from Andean countries. It is especially common in Peru. It originated in Serrania, Peru as a combination of traditional rural folk music and popular urban dance music...
music from central 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....
. One of the few Andean music bands with a majority of female members. The band now resides in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and gained a following from world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
fans for its traditional yet innovative style of Peruvian Music.
Kuyayky has struck a chord by rearranging and researching dozens of musical pieces from the precolonial and colonial periods in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, but have retained a clear emphasis on the music of central Peru. They are part of the Xauxa ayllu
Ayllu
Ayllu is the traditional form of a community in the Andes, especially among Quechuas and Aymaras.Ayllus were the basic political and social units of pre-Inca and Inca life. These were essentially extended family groups but they could adopt non-related members, giving individual families more...
of the Bonilla family.
History
Kuyayky was founded by ethnomusicologist Jose Hurtado Zamudio and singer/composer Edda Bonilla Peña of the Conjunto de Alma Jaujina, in 1980 in the town of JaujaJauja
Jauja is a city and capital of Jauja Province in Peru. It is situated in the fertile Mantaro Valley, to the northwest of Huancayo , at an altitude of . Its population according to the 2007 census was 16,424....
. Kuyayky's original members are the Hurtado Bonilla siblings: Rubi Indira in guitar and first voice, Jose Luis in the mandolin and fourth voice, Yina in the 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...
and second voice, Mariluz in the quena, sikus, cajón
Cajón
A cajón is a box-shaped percussion instrument originally from Peru, played by slapping the front face with the hands.-Origins and evolution:...
and third voice, and Candy in the bombo leguero
Bombo legüero
Bombo legüero is an Argentine drum traditionally made of a hollowed tree trunk and covered with cured skins of animals such as goats, cows or sheep. It derives from the old European military drums, and uses a similar arrangement of hoops and leather thongs and loops to tighten the drumheads, which...
and first voice. They have been known to collaborate with different musicians in distinct musical genres.
Kuyayky also founded the Kuyayky Foundation a non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
that fosters cultural awareness and aids Andean youth through the online education program YachayWorld.
The band takes its name from the Quechua
Quechua languages
Quechua is a Native South American language family and dialect cluster spoken primarily in the Andes of South America, derived from an original common ancestor language, Proto-Quechua. It is the most widely spoken language family of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, with a total of probably...
language, which translates from the verb "kuyay" love, meaning "to love" or "solidarity".
In November 2006, the release of Kuyayky's new album was featured in an investigative report by Enrique Flor of Peruvian television newsmagazine
Newsmagazine
A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published piece of paper, magazine or a radio or television program, usually weekly, featuring articles or segments on current events...
La Ventana Indiscreta on Frecuencia Latina
Frecuencia Latina
Frecuencia Latina , better known as Channel 2, is a Peruvian television network. The network was founded on May 31, 1962 by the Cavero Family Group who turned the station into a network filled with musical programs and variety shows...
.