Atahualpa Yupanqui

Born Héctor Roberto Chavero Aramburu in a Buenos Aires suburb, folklore musician and author Atahualpa Yupanqui is regarded as the most important folk artist in Argentine history.

After adopting the names of two Incan kings, Yupanqui embarked on a mission to immerse himself in Argentine indigenous culture, subsequently becoming a voice for the rights of this marginalized group. His radical politics forced him into exile after he joined the Argentine Communist Party, and his work faced censorship, resulting in several incarcerations over the years.

After several years in Europe, including stints with Edith Piaf, he ended his Communist Party affiliation and returned to Argentina, where he went on to perform, record and author several books. Considered a pioneer of the nueva canción movement beginning in the 1960s, Yupanqui's music was a powerful vehicle of expression and anti-imperialist sentiment. The imposed military dictatorship of Jorge Videla (in 1976) saw Yupanqui's visits home cut short, and he returned to Paris, where he died in 1992 at the age of 84. —Rebeca Mauleon