Gustavo Yashimura – Living Legend of the Ayacucho Guitar (Hive Mind Records, 2022)
Living Legend of the Ayacucho Guitar focuses on the work of Gustavo Yashimura-Arce, a guitar virtuoso from Peru.
On this album, Yashimura-Arce uses the guitar, an instrument introduced to Peru by Spanish settlers that was adopted by the indigenous Quechuan people of the Andes to perform their traditional music. The melodies masterfully played on the guitar are versions of the traditional Huayno tunes that are usually performed on harps, Andean pipes, charango and mandolin.
Gustavo Yashimura-Arce grew up in the Ayacucho region of the Peruvian Andes. He started playing guitar in 1987 and two years later he moved to Montevideo in Uruguay to study music at La Casa de la Guitarra.
After spending several years playing classical guitar in Japan, Gustavo returned to Peru in 2004 and began his intense studies of the Andean guitar styles of the Ayacucho region. Afterwards, in 2008, he found the ideal teacher, 80-year-old veteran guitarist Don Alberto Juscamaita Gastelú, known locally as Rahtako. Under the guidance of Don Alberto, Gustavo was able to learn songs and styles from across the Andes, although the main focus remained on the traditional styles of the Ayacucho region.
On Living Legend of the Ayacucho Guitar, Gustavo is joined by Luis Sulca Galindo on second guitar and Greys Berrocal Huaya on vocals on 4 tracks on the album.
Curiously, this album will only be available on cassette and digital.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.