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Band of the Andes Los Jaivas's Eduardo Parra remembers the origins of Inca rock by Rupert Bottenberg & Don Chico de la Mancha
Armed only with the guitars compulsory in every Chilean household, the band began its days under the name High Bass. They gigged regularly in their native region of Vina del Mar and periodically pulled hit-and-run shows in Chile's capitol, Santiago. By the end of '69 that had all changed. Parra did get his jazz into the mix--and a great deal more as well. African and Caribbean elements started to show up, and their rock sound had evolved past simple Beatles rave-ups to investigation of the burgeoning possibilities of prog rock. A new spirit of Chilean identity was passing through their homeland, and the band responded by ditching the anglicized tag High Bass in favour of Los Jaivas ("little crabs"). More importantly, they balanced the space-rock angle with a headlong dive into the deeply rooted traditions of Andean music. On their gear check list, next to the Korgs, Rolands and Yamahas, one can still find a wide spread of folk instruments such as quenas, trutrucas, charangos and kultrums. Los Jaivas have dubbed their unique sound "Inca rock." By 1973, Los Jaivas had relocated to Argentina for political and financial reasons. Highlights of their four-year stay in that country included a performance with the Buenos Aires Symphonic Orchestra and a farewell show for 20,000 fans before moving to Paris in 1977, which is to this day their home away from home. Wherever Los Jaivas have wandered, though, communities of Chileans exiled under the Pinochet regime have been their most reliable supporters. "We basically did our first European tours in small jazz clubs," says Parra. "Inevitably, it was mostly Chileans who would show up. From there we got a lot of contacts, and that's how we got to do a lot of our gigs. It was by Chileans, for Chileans." The year 1981 marked the return of these prodigal sons to their homeland. The shows which followed were nothing short of a cultural phenomenon for Chile. Los Jaivas were the first Chilean band to return from exile, bringing with them news of the world at large for which Chileans were starved after the Pinochet years. These days, however, Los Jaivas must be less dependent on Chilean communities, since many Chileans have returned home. But Eduardo Parra feels a responsibility to those who remain on the outside. "There was, at the time, a big movement. But things have since slowed down. Chilean communities, however, will still bring in a stand-up comic or a band. So as not to forget about Chile, and to have it near." Los Jaivas play Le Medley (1170 St-Denis) Saturday, July 19, with Grupo Tierra and and DJ Oliver. 9pm, $25 at the door |
When Eduardo Parra, keyboardist of Chile's Los Jaivas, joined the band in 1963, little did he expect that he'd be playing rock music for the next 35 years. In fact, he hadn't much intended to play rock at all. "We wanted to play jazz initially. But to play jazz, you need instruments."