Sebastián Monje

Sebastián Monje came up in Puno, near Lake Titicaca, where he first heard the traditional music that would shape his work. He later worked with folklorist Nicomedes Santa Cruz, and together they wrote 'Chacarera de la Independencia,' a song about Peru's break from Spanish rule that became widely known.

That track appears on his debut album of the same name, and he went on to record others like 'Ay, mi Perú' and 'De Norte a Sur.' He has played with musicians including Eva Ayllón and Manuelcha Prado, and his band has included guitarist Carlos Vega and percussionist Carlos Vargas.

Some traditionalists early on questioned his approach to folk music, but he kept at it, believing the forms could change with the times. His recordings draw from Peruvian folklore without treating it as fixed museum material.