Alirina

The Aymara are a group of Bolivian Indians who, for millenniums, have lived in the high altitudes of the Andes. Despite the brutality the Aymara suffered at the hands of Spanish invaders centuries ago, the Aymaran culture has survived — according to this CD's liner notes, three million people of Aymaran heritage were still living in the Bolivian Andes in the late 1980s. Ever since it was founded in the early '70s, Grupo Aymara has dedicated itself to preserving the traditional, time-honored music of the Aymara. Recorded live at Manhattan Community College's Triplex Theater in New York in 1988, Alirina illustrates the group's excellence and vitality. The group's inspired performance includes traditional Andean songs like "Doctorsito," "Inkas," and "Ilabeña," as well as the compositions of Clarken Orosco, who served as Grupo Aymara's musical director from 1972-1982. Some of the songs are instrumental, while the vocal numbers contain lyrics celebrating the Aymaran culture. Lovers of traditional Andean music will find a lot to admire about this highly percussive but often melodic performance.