Embajada Boliviana

Embajada Boliviana formed in La Paz in 1988 around three musicians: Jesús Durán on charango and vocals, Nicolás Menacho on zampoña and vocals, and Samuel Cruz on guitar and vocals. They started with a straightforward idea of playing their country's traditional music while letting in some contemporary sounds, which at first drew skepticism from purists who thought they might be watering things down.

Their 1994 album "Pobre Corazón" gave them a breakout moment, anchored by the title track that became something of an anthem. Other songs like "Que Le Voy a Hacer" and "Amor Eterno" have stayed in their setlists. They kept recording through the 1990s and 2000s, putting out albums like "Volando Alto" in 1997 and "Raíces" in 2002.

They've played festivals and venues outside Bolivia, including Coachella and the Lincoln Center in New York. Their music leans on Andean instruments, charango, zampoña, but doesn't treat them as museum pieces, letting in elements of pop and rock when it fits the song. In 2015 they worked with the Bolivia National Symphony Orchestra on the "Symphonic Bolivia" project.