With her Quechua pop music, songwriter Luzmila Carpio has been one of the most influential artistic and spiritual ambassadors of Andean communities. Between innovation and ancient tradition, she spreads messages of indigenous struggle, female empowerment and love for the environment around us. Luzmila Carpio is bringing her iconic voice to Le Guess Who? Festival 2024 for a career-spanning performance.
Born in the highlands of Bolivia, Luzmila's musical expressions are intimately intertwined with her profound spiritual journey, making her a unique and influential presence in the realm of indigenous spirituality.
Luzmila Carpio’s career started as a natural extension of her artistic and social expression: in her early teens she started diving deeper into the cultural and musical heritage of the Andes and started singing in Quechua, rather than Spanish, as a rebellion against the western cultural predominance over the indigenous patrimony.
Throughout the years she integrated musical tradition, birdsongs and contemporary music to develop her own mythical world, characterized by her high-pitched vocals and a soundscape of bells, woodwinds, charangos, birds and many natural sounds.
Among her vast discography, the 1990 Yuyay Jap'Ina Tapes (“reclaim our knowledge”) stands out as her musical testimony of a culture of resistance. The album was a collaborative project with UNICEF to preserve the indigenous Quechua language through song.
In 2015, Luzmila Carpio embarked on a new journey together with ZZK Records for a new album and a series of re-works in collaboration with contemporary producers like a.o. Nicola Cruz, Chancha Vía Circuito and Leonardo Martinelli (a.k.a. Tremor).
Luzmila Carpio performs at Le Guess Who? 2024 on Thursday, 7 November. Also performing at the festival are a.o. Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto, Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra presents Hadra Immersive, Myriam Gendron, Germán Bringas, Tucker Zimmerman, and many more.
