Eddy Navia and SUKAY. Photo: Will Mosgrove.
Eddy Navia
Bolivian charango
Bolivian charango
Eddy Navia (SUKAY’s Peña Pachamama) grew up in Potosí, Bolivia. There, he was immersed in rich cultural traditions, including the ten-stringed charango: his primary instrument in composing music. Over time, Navia has recorded thirty-five albums in Bolivia with the group he co-founded, SAVIA ANDINA, and seven solo albums. He has also recorded twenty-nine albums with SUKAY; two were nominated for the Latin Grammys in the Traditional Music category. In 1989, Navia was the artistic director at SUKAY. He has performed in prestigious venues such as the Olympia in Paris and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the government of Bolivia.
A 1988 television presentation of Navia, 2008.
Living Cultures Grant
2023
Bridging Traditions: Uniting Indigenous Instruments, Music and Dances from the Carnivals of Bolivia and the Andes with Contemporary Orchestra
Eddy Navia will establish a weekly concert series at Peña Pachamama in San Francisco, in commemoration of SUKAY’s 50 Years of Performance and Peña Pachamama’s Legacy Business designation. The series will showcase indigenous instruments (the sinus and charango) and encompass both traditional music and compositions created by Navia, based on the folklore, traditional rhymes, and dances of the Bolivian Carnaval.
