Los Kipus or Los Quipus, were a

Peruvian Peruvians (''/peruanas'') are the citizens of Peru. What is now Peru has been inhabited for several millennia by cultures such as the Caral before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. Peruvian population decreased from an estimated 5–9 ...

musical group A musical ensemble, also known as a music group, musical group, or a band is a group of people who perform instrumental and/or vocal music, with the ensemble typically known by a distinct name. Some music ensembles consist solely of instrumen ...

. Los Kipus were highly influenced by

música criolla Música criolla, Peruvian Creole music or ''canción criolla'' is a varied genre of Peruvian music that exhibits influences from European music, European, African music, African and Andean music, Andean music. The genre's name reflects the coas ...

. The style of music, known as

vals criollo The vals criollo (), or Peruvian waltz (), is an adaptation of the European waltz brought to the Americas during colonial times by Spain. In the Viceroyalty of Peru, the waltz was gradually adapted to the likings of the Criollo people. In the 20 ...

, is evident throughout their work. Los Kipus were originally formed in 1959 and consisted of group members Paco Maceda, Genaro Ganoza, and Carmen Montoro. Throughout the years Los Kipus had numerous female lead singers, including Eva Ayllon from 1973 to 1975. Others included Zoraida Villanueva, Charo Alonso, and Pilar Valdivia. Los Kipus were a popular musical group in Peru throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Popular hits written by Los Kipus included "Perdiste," "Cariñito," and "Nada soy." Apart from playing original songs, Los Kipus also performed vals created by other writers. Some popular ones included "Ansias" by Luis Abelardo Núñez and "Amorcito" by Lucas Borja.

History

Paco Maceda was born on January 15, 1933, in the Peruvian province of

Piura Piura is a city in northwestern Peru, located north of the Sechura Desert along the Piura River. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. Its population was 484,475 as of 2017 and it is the 7th most populous city in Peru. ...

. At 16 years old, Maceda first started experimenting with

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

s and the

genre. In 1954, Maceda, along with Juan Jiron and Juan Ruiz, formed "Los Ruiseñores." In 1955, Paco Maceda teamed up with Luis Abanto Morales to write the hit song "Nunca Podran." Genaro Ganoza Torres, co-founder of Los Kipus, was born on July 10, 1931. He was born in Viru, a province of Trujillo in Peru. Ganoza is credited with co-writing the song "Nada Soy." In 1959, Maceda, Ganoza, and Carmen Montoro formed the trio Los Kipus. In August 1959 their first song, "Por que sigues llorando" was written with assistance from Rafael Otero. Despite numerous changes to the female lead, the band always consisted of two

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

s, a female voice lead, and native Peruvian

percussion instrument A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

s. Eva Ayllón, in later interviews, described Maceda and Ganoza as "very important Creole guitarists and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

s" who had "a way of making the strings cry that is very unique." As the

band leader A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a dance band, rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhyth ...

and manager, Maceda took Los Kipus throughout

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1992, Maceda moved to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and settled in

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

until his death on April 23, 2004, from

liver cancer Liver cancer, also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy, is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary in which the cancer starts in the liver, or it can be liver metastasis, or secondar ...

. Ganoza died on December 15, 2016. Los Kipus continue to tour as of today with Paco Maceda Jr. as

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...

ist.

Discography

* Éxitos de Siempre * Los Kipus y Sus Voces * Carmen, Paco y Genaro * Retorno Triunfal

References

{{Reflist Peruvian musical groups