Los Incas, also known as Urubamba, are an Andean folk music group formed in Paris in 1956. Founded by the Argentinian musicians Carlos Miguel Ben-Pott and Ricardo Galeazzi who was a jazz bassist, musical director of the group and the Venezuelans Elio Riveros and Narciso Debourg. Since the beginning of the 1960s, it had been constantly directed musically by the Argentinian Jorge Milchberg (born 5 September 1928 - died 20 August 2022), who, originally a classically trained pianist, had become an internationally renowned charanguist.
They are best known in North America for accompanying Simon and Garfunkel on the song "El Cóndor Pasa (If I Could)", written by Daniel Alomía Robles, Paul Simon and Jorge Milchberg and included on the duo's fifth album, Bridge Over Troubled Water.
Later on, they provided accompaniment on "Duncan", featured on Simon's second solo album Paul Simon, and toured with Simon (as Urubamba) in the early 1970s, appearing on the Live Rhymin' album and releasing a pair of albums under their new name. In later years, they reverted to their original name of Los Incas and released several more albums on the French Buda Records label.
Members
Jorge Milchberg — charango
Rob Yaffee — cello
Olivier Milchberg — guitar, quena
Lupe Vega — vocals
Juan Dalera — quena
Moises Arnaiz — guitar
Jorge Transante — percussion
Carlos Miguel Benn
Kleber Mosquera — guitar
Discography
Chants et Danses d'Amérique Latine, 1956
L'Amérique du Soleil, 1960
Terres de Soleil, 1962
Amérique Latine, 1964
Special Danse (EP), 1965
Bolivie, 1965
Pérou, 1965
Succés Originaux, 1967
Le Rapace (EP), 1967
Los Incas, 1968
Inedits, 1969
El Cóndor Pasa, 1970
El Viento, 1971
Special Danse (EP 2), 1972
La Fiesta, 1973
Urubamba (as Urubamba), 1974
Río Abierto, 1977
Un Pedazo de Infinito (as Urubamba), 1982
La Porte du Silence, 1985
Alegria, 1988
La Plume de l'Oeuf, 1991
Los Incas en Concert, 2000 (Live Album) El Último, 2002 Salvados del Olvido, 2011 Reprise en ligne (EP), 2018