Los Incas

Formed in Paris in 1956, Los Incas (also known as Urubamba) served as the primary vessel for Andean music's entry into the Western global consciousness. Led for decades by the classically trained Argentine pianist turned charanguist Jorge Milchberg, the group bridged the gap between ethnomusicological preservation and contemporary folk-pop.

Their sound is centered on the 'Nueva Canción' movement's instrumental side, utilizing the quena (flute), siku (panpipes), and charango (a small ten-stringed lute). Their historical significance is anchored by their 1960s collaboration with Paul Simon, which resulted in 'El Condor Pasa (If I Could)', a track that fundamentally altered the trajectory of 'World Music' as a commercial category. Critically, they are respected for maintaining high technical standards and sophisticated arrangements that avoided the 'airport folk' clichés of later Andean imitators. Their catalog on labels like Buda Records remains a cornerstone for collectors of South American folk and acoustic traditionalism.