Notes
The music of the Andes embraces a culture that has evolved through shifting social and political changes. In it's purest form, this music embodies the character of it's people; their rich ancestry, the influence of invading cultures and the survival of their disappearing origins. It remains a powerful expression of a harsh lifestyle and uncertain future. The lilting melodies reflect the solitude of the rural life of the altiplano, the relationship between the andean people, their hostile but mystical environment and their sacred past. Rumillajta was formed in Bolivia in 1980. The groups 5 musicians continue to live and work in Bolivia. They have toured internationally and played on the main stage of Glastonbury festival in the UK, Womad festival amongst others. Rumillajta pronounced roomy yakta means City of Stone in quechua, the language of the Incas. It conjures up the monumental stone ruins of ancient andean cities such as Tiwanaku, Machu Picchu and Iscanwaya. For the musicians the name embodies a link between the past and present andean life