***Los Jaivas (Chile) -El Volantin -Mad wild rare Psych/prog/ethnic raveup!***

Los Jaivas appeared in Chilean music in 1963 as a progressive-rock-andino group, mixing rock with South American ancestral music. The Parra brothers met Mario Mutis and Eduardo "Gato" Alquinta (gato is the Spanish word for cat) in their childhood and joined to play music. They acquired fame in Viña del Mar, by playing at diverse parties and shows.

Name

The former name of the band was High-bass, which related to their differences in height, although another source mentions that it was because the bass guitar played at a very high volume compared to the other instruments. However, they quickly realized that an English-sounding name was not appropriate for a folk band, so they changed it to Jaivas (HIGH-BASS), a "Chileanized" pronunciation of "high bass" which ignores the fact that bass rhymes with base in English. The spelling of Jaivas is also a word play with the word Jaibas, which means crabs in Spanish.

'El Volantin' is one of the most sought after long plays of Chilean music history,fetching prices of 900-1000 USD.

The music on this album was almost completely derived from improvisations, and can be considered as a performance of a "happening". It was pretty wild and free. From 20 hours of work only 40 minutes were used for publication. There were only 500 albums printed. It became not so widely known because it also did not fit to what radio stations usually played. The usual rock groups from that time explored the electroacoustic styles, and were influenced by Cream or Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. Los Jaivas used the development of improvisation, also during the live concerts.This album was first privately released, with free, freak-out and drugged like versions of music based upon Chilean Folk fundaments and demented percussion. Not always fantastic, but with fine moments. Especially "Cacho" is worth discovering. The rest might be a bit exaggerating. Almost the complete album was totally improvised.

(From:http://progressive.homestead.com/LOSJAIVAS.html)

Los Jaivas are still active in Chile.


Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Cacho (5:44)
2. La Vaquita (7:11)
3. Por Veinticinco Empaná (3:00)
4. Tamborcito De Milagro (4:00)
5. Que O La Tumba Serás (3:22)
6. Foto De Primera Comunión (6:34)
7. Ultimo Día (8:26)
8. Bolerito (0:25)

Total time 38:44

Line-up / Musicians

- Gato Alquinta / lead and backing vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, recorder, ocarina, tumbadora
- Mario Mutis / bass, vocals, acoustic guitar, recorder, tarka, tumbadora, tambotcito de milagro, pandereta
- Eduardo Parra / organ, bongo, kultrum, xylophone, backing vocals
- Claudio Parra / piano, güiro, rasca de metal, pandereta, maracas, tambotcito, backing vocals
- Gabriel Parra / drums, tumbadora, kultrum, caja, maracas, cacho, trutruca, piano introdaction, vocals (2), backing vocals

Guest musicians:
- Geraldo Vandré / vocals
- Monks of Abadia del Viejo Mundo / bells

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