Folk Bands and Artists
Quimantú
London
Forty-seven years ago, Mauricio Venegas Astorga escaped the dictatorship in Chile and sought refuge in the United Kingdom. Today, his music and that of Quimantú have become home and roots for those who, like him, fled violence in search of a new beginning.
When Mauricio left his country, he carried with him traces of the land from southern Chile on the soles of his shoes and remnants of the coal from the mines in his region. He also brought the music he had learned since childhood, since singing and music were for his parents, like many in his village, frequent daily pastimes.
With that southern earth and the Andean rhythms of his charango, he built a new home in the UK, creating the group Quimantú in 1981.
Quimantú made a large home in London, becoming an ambassador for Latin American music in Europe. However, they also embraced the music of their host country. This fusion has become their signature identity—broad and mestizo.
In their creations, the sounds of Chile and Latin America coexist with traditional and contemporary styles, ranging from Western classical music to Celtic, African, and Indian genres. Andean instruments—charangos, zampoñas, quenas, bombos—explosively unite with violins, violas, and cellos.
Alongside Rachel Pantin and now with Laura Venegas-Rojas, Mauricio’s daughter, Quimantú has developed a revolutionary musical project for over four decades that is both social and deeply humanitarian.
Genre: Contemporary folk,World
