Over the years, Atajo has managed to build a new reference in popular singing, capable of provoking and annoying those in positions of power, but also of connecting with the most intimate and simple expressions of society.
Their songs not only evoke reflection on the anger of an exclusionary and colonial society but also encourage movement. That's why many young and not-so-young people dance to the music of Atajo until the very end.
Marco Alberto Quispe Villca is a Bolivian journalist, cultural promoter, and writer from El Alto.
Atajo has ventured into a wide variety of musical styles, exploring reggae, ska, salsa, blues rock, cumbia, festejo, candombe, tango, murga, son, guapango, and more. Moreover, they have skillfully woven these rhythms with the traditions of the Andes, Latin America, and, why not say it, the world. For instance, in many of their songs, we can appreciate traditional Andean rhythms such as huayño, saya, chacarera, and others.
This diversity has greatly enriched the repertoire of their concerts, allowing the audience to connect with their roots and find themselves in Atajo's music. Thus, at any moment, Atajo can surprise with a captivating blend of rhythms in their live performances.
Atajo's albums have served as the perfect platform to showcase how they have expertly fused a wide variety of music from different cultures, all expertly tied together with the lyrics of Panchi Maldonado. These lyrics give Atajo's music a unique personality that undoubtedly marks their style of making music, never losing sight of the heartbeat of the people that inspires each of their creations.
Swedish Bolivian production in EP version, was presented in May 2020, a song to the rhythm of reggae and that tells the relationship between son and mother through minimal and very everyday stories.
Concert recorded live in 2017 at the NUNA La Paz Bolivia theater, Twenty songs sung by the best Bolivian rock vocalists and with the support of the Atajo band.
Disc recorded in 2016 at Pepitasroom-Studio where Atajo shows its potential in the diversity of rhythms it has, starting with reggae, blues, cumbia, jazz, rock, andean music and from other parts of the world. Participate as special guests:
Sargento García, Mauresca, El Callegúeso, Alguacil Dubkilla and Philip ¨Cityzen¨ Johnson
This Swedish Bolivian production in EP version, was presented in September 2020, a song to the rhythm of cumbia. It is a satire of what happens on social media and has a play on words that is currently used a lot in the cybernetic lexicon.
Lyrics and music by Panchi Maldonado
Published in September 2020
Sweden
Acoustic double CD, recorded live in 2011 and 2012 the 1st album titled Acusti-Kasi together with the disappeared group Kumana directed by
The 2nd album titled Acusti-Warmy, was performed by 15 female artists who sang the songs of Atajo in acoustic versions.
"Songs and other critters"
First edition, November 2011.
Editing and cover design: Luis A. Gómez &
The wild look
© Panchi Maldonado and all authors.
DVD The tenth anniversary concert of Atajo entitled "Atajo Hechos en Bolivia" performed at the Alberto Saavedra Pérez Theater in La Paz Bolivia in November 2006.
DISCOGRAPHY
1998 Personajes Paceños.
1999 Calles Baldías Vol. I y II.
2003 Nunca Más.
2005 Sobre y Encima.
2007 Vivitos y Coleando Vol. I, II y III.
2009 Hechos en Bolivia DVD.
2011 Tierra de Locos.
2015 Acusti K´asi.
2015 Acusti Warmy.
2016 Quita penas.
2017 Atajo Chak´atau 20 años Vol. I y II.
2020 Quédate conmigo. EP
2020 La cumbia del Web-On. EP
2023 Echar raíces - EP
LEAD VOCAL & COMPOSER
Photo by Noah Friedman
Panchi Maldonado began his career away from schools and formalities, teaching himself how to make and play music and sing.
In 1996, with a guitar and harmonica, he started a band to play his own music: Atajo (Spanish for "Shortcut") would become a brand for a mix of traditional Andean music, rock, reggae, and blues.For more than two decades (since the release of the seminal album Characters Paceños), Panchi's songs have been a reflection of the (mostly indigenous) life of Bolivians; farmers, shoeshiners, ice cream vendors or beggars who found his voice in his lyrics.
The same could be said of his soundtrack for a documentary on the sacred coca plant (Inal Mama).
Twelve albums later, Panchi a musician who reinvents himself in new ways, talking to young people not just about life as it is, but about what life could be and the love we need to keep it going.
Atajo currently resides in Sweden and aims to conquer new hearts both in the Nordics and in the world, after a long tour of stages in many Latin American and European countries since 1996.
2019 is the year that work begins in the city of Lund-Sweden, Atajo works hard in preparing his new material and preparing for his next tours.
Panchi Maldonado - Lead vocal & Guitar
Yohannis Montero - Drum & backvocals
Tomas Jimeno Jr - Percussión; keyboard & backvocals
Renzo Jaldín - Bass & backvocals
Dan Fridh - Lead guitarra
ATAJO. "Cumbita del rockerón"
A song that we share with an artist of great international experience such as: Sargento Garcia (France), Jacobo Velez director of the group El callegüeso y La Mambanegra (Colombia) and Manuel Gamboa Director of the group El Alguacil (Colombia)
ATAJO Productora 2016
ATAJO. "Oye mi hermano"
Hey my brother, it shows the Latin American diversity of language, but at the same time also the social problems that we live in around a globalized world but nothing equitable, which is sold to us as a promise of development and that at the same time only has history of war, lies, manipulation, hatred and inequality.
ATAJO Productora 2016
contact@atajo.se
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