On Indigenous People’s Day, Uplift These Artists Across Abya Yala
Photography by Marisol Mendez.
Times are bleak, with far-right movements gaining ground worldwide and economic troubles fueling uncertainty and polarization. But if anyone has shown us the life-saving power of resistance, it’s Indigenous people, who have endured displacement and erasure for centuries.
In recent years, Columbus Day observances have shifted from celebrating European discovery to honoring the first peoples of Abya Yala, the pre-colonial name for this expansive territory. Their struggles continue: Indigenous land protectors in Brazil, Colombia, and Central America oppose destructive mining and logging industries, while in Chile, plurinationality was a central demand of 2019’s Estallido Social. In North America, activists and performers draw attention to the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S+) with red handprints painted on their faces—a now-ubiquitous symbol of those who have been silenced.
Indigenous rights are human rights. This Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we’re amplifying artists who sustain these struggles and keep their customs and languages alive. From Quechua pop and Mayan folk to Mapuche metal, these essential voices share ancestral wisdom while creating something new.
L E N I N
K-pop is booming across Latin America, but are you ready for Q-pop? Enter Lenin Tamayo, aka L E N I N, the rising Peruvian sensation who channels the dreamy charisma of Korea’s finest idols while putting his own colorful Quechua spin on every song. The outfits are lavish, the choreo is tight, and his face card never declines.
Valgur
The dynamic sibling duo from Oaxaca broke out in 2019 with Zapandú, an album that melds Zapotec lyrics with shimmering Mexican synthpop. Their follow-up, Armageddon, cemented their status as mad geniuses, weaving vintage synths and jazzy drums into hypnotic songs inspired by cult films and oppressive gender roles. These days, Valgur tours nonstop through Mexico and the United States, opening for buzzy bands like Magdalena Bay and STRFKR.
Jatun Mama
Jatun Mama was born as an experimental splinter from the traditional Kichwa ensemble Humazapas, adding booming electronic beats to Andean instruments like the fiddle, orange leaves, and pan flutes. Melding chicha, techno, and whatever else pops into the heads of founders Jesús Bonilla and Félix Maldonado, their explosive sets offer a small glimpse into the musical wonders living in their Ecuadorian home of Cotacachi, Imbabura.
Luzmila Carpio
A trailblazer for Indigenous rights in Bolivia and around the world, the legendary artist sings in Quechua and Aymara and reaches dizzying whistle tones. With a discography dating back to the 1970s and a creative renaissance over the past decade through a fruitful partnership with electronic label ZZK, Carpio remains as relevant as ever. Her tenure as Bolivia’s ambassador to France in the mid-2000s also gave her crucial political soft power.
Embera Warra
After being displaced from their native territory in Colombia’s Chocó Department, brothers Walter and Gonzalo Queragama relocated to Bogotá in 2017, where they launched a potent hip-hop career. Proud sons of the Embera Katío community, the pair denounce rampant violence in their territory and demand institutional land protections on searing cuts like “Desplazado,” “Yo Machi Duade,” and “Naberaka.”
Mawiza
Formed in Santiago but roaring with the fury of Chile’s Araucanía Region, these Mapuche screamers made their mark on the heavy music scene by singing in their ancestral tongue, Mapuzungun. They eventually defined their sound as Ül metal, scored gigs across Asia and Europe, earned co-signs from Gojira’s Joe Duplantier, and signed with the French label Seasons of Mist. Mawiza have also used their growing visibility to advocate for Mapuche liberation and pressure Chile’s voracious lumber industry.
Sara Curruchich
Sara Curruchich was born a fighter. The Kaqchikel singer-songwriter and activist began her music career in 2012 with the all-women marimba group Teclas en Armonía. Three years later, she launched her solo career with the viral ballad “Ch’uti’xtän,” or “Girl.” Since then, she’s collaborated with stars like Lila Downs and Rebeca Lane and has become an ambassador for UN Women in Guatemala.
Bianca Orqueda
Hailing from Uj´e Lhavós in Paraguay’s Chaco region, singer-songwriter Bianca Orqueda has always known music would be her path. She began playing guitar at 11 and later moved to Argentina to study music at the Institute of Aboriginal Cultures, where she learned the value of preserving and sharing her people’s culture. Since returning to Paraguay, she’s built a repertoire of acoustic torch songs and soulful electronic singles in Nivaclé, honoring her heritage and the women passing it on to the next generation.
Nelson D
Though proud of his Indigenous heritage, Brazilian producer Nelson D is unsure of his ancestral roots. Found on the street as a baby in Manaos, Amazonas, he was later adopted by an Italian couple who brought him to Europe. As an adult, he moved to São Paulo and became a prolific electronic music producer, reconnecting with the territory and other artists with similar experiences. While his solo work skews experimental, he’s also a favorite hitmaker for divas like Gloria Groove, Danna Lisboa, and Linn da Quebrada.
La Tribu
Hailing from Panama’s autonomous region of Guna Yala, these seasoned rockers combine ska and reggae with fluttering native woodwinds. Singer and bandleader Yovanny Barrantes formed the group in 2010 to spotlight the struggles, spirituality, and ancestral wisdom of the Guna (or Dule) people. Their rousing performances have taken them to prestigious stages worldwide, most notably the gargantuan Rock al Parque in Colombia.