Grupo Alaya

Music group from Bolivia (South America) created in 1984 in La Paz, Bolivia. The name of the group "Alaya" comes from the Aymara language which means "from above", with reference to artists living at 3,800 meters from the sea level. The musicians of the group live between Bolivia and France. In 26 years of career, 5 CDs have been produced, mainly Miguel Angel PUÑA's compositions, but also a few covers of traditional and popular Andean music. The characteristics of Grupo ALAYA's music are the links with nature and the cosmos. His music is the voice of the Altiplano and Lake Titicaca (the highest navigable lake in the world). It carries with it the melancholy of one of the poorest countries in the world that has endured four centuries of servitude, exploitation, oppression and political instability. It reflects the energy and love of a people who face their destiny without losing hope. It is the expression of the mystery of the mountains where lives El Condor, the king of birds. Grupo ALAYA wishes to promote Bolivian art which is based on a rich cultural heritage, with live events (music, song, dance ...) such as shows and animations. Participating in cultural exchanges between peoples makes it possible to affirm the personality and the soul of the Bolivian lifestyle. [u]In a spirit of valorization and evolution of the Bolivian folklore, the group interprets different styles of music:[/u] - traditional music also called indigenous music, the one that comes from the Andean high plateau. It can be played at carnival time, but also during community celebrations. The composition of this ancestral music requires the intervention of wind instruments (sikus, zampoñas ..) and percussion (bombo ...) - contemporary city music, imbued with Spanish influence, particularly with stringed instruments such as the guitar. - modern music that retains traditional instrumentation and rhythm and uses Western instruments such as bass, drums or keyboards.  All these reasons make Grupo ALAYA an ambassador of Bolivian culture.