Savia Andina is an Andean folk music ensemble from

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

, and it was founded in 1975. The group originated in 1964 as schoolmates Gerardo Arias,

Eddy Navia Eddy Navía Dalence (born 6 September 1949) is a Bolivian composer, musician and Charango virtuoso. Biography Two time Latin Grammy nominee Eddy Navia was born in Potosí, Bolivia. He began his musical career in the 1960s, forming the group "Lo ...

and Oscar Castro formed the rock band "Los Rebeldes" in the city of

Potosí Potosí, known as Villa Imperial de Potosí in the colonial period, is the capital city and a municipality of the Department of Potosí in Bolivia. It is one of the highest cities in the world at a nominal . For centuries, it was the location o ...

. Following some records by Arias and Navia in Argentina in the early 1970's they invited Castro back and others to officially form Savia Andina on July, 1975. Savia Andina was one of the first groups to have international success with traditional

Andean music Andean music is a group of styles of music from the Andes region in South America. Original chants and melodies come from the general area inhabited by Quechuas (originally from Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile), Aymaras (originally from Bolivia), a ...

. They had this success starting in the 1960s and went on to have three albums to go gold. They toured Europe and are sometimes classed in the "new song/nueva cancion" movement of Latin American music. In the 1970s they became the most popular and influential music group in Bolivia, but were later displaced by

Los Kjarkas Los Kjarkas is a Bolivian band from the Capinota province in the department of Cochabamba, and one of the most popular Andean folk music bands in the country's history. Among the styles they play are Saya, tuntuna, huayno, and carnavales. Th ...

. They are also known for poetic love songs about mountains. Eddy Navia, a founder of the group noted as a

charango The charango is a small Andean stringed instrument of the lute family, from the Quechua and Aymara populations in the territory of the Altiplano in post-Colonial times, after European stringed instruments were introduced by the Spanish during c ...

player, left in 1988 to join

Sukay Sukay is an Andean folk music band. History Sukay, an international touring musical group, is known in the United States for bringing the music of the Andes for the first time to cities and concert stages throughout North America. The group's na ...

Discography

;Contributing artist * ''

The Rough Guide to the Music of the Andes ''The Rough Guide to the Music of the Andes'' is a world music compilation album originally released in 1996. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the album features the music of the Andes Mountains of South America, focusing espe ...

'' (1996,

World Music Network World Music Network is a UK-based record label specializing in world music. The World Music Network website features news, reviews, live music listings, and guide sections on world music. It also features an online "Battle of the Bands" compet ...

)

References

Bolivian musical groups Andean music {{band-stub