Los Paraguayos

Los Paraguayos was a series of music groups from Paraguay. From their formation in the 1950s, the groups, first fronted by Luis Alberto del Paraná and then his brother Reynaldo Meza, featured different variations of the name Paraguayos, as well as different singers and musicians, playing guitars, bongo drums and a Paraguayan harp.

Based in Europe, the group blended traditional Paraguayan music with popular arrangements and performed many South American and Mexican tunes and songs, including classics, such as "Guantanamera", "Cielito Lindo" and "Pajaro Campana (The Bell Bird)". Most famous in the 1960s, the group retained its popularity, selling many albums and appearing at many concerts throughout the world.

Background

Paraguayan singer and guitarist Luis Alberto del Paraná (born Luis Osmer Meza) was recruited by Gumersindo Ayala Aquino to form the trio Los Guaireños with fellow guitarist and singer Humberto Barúa and harpist Digno García. The group began touring in Paraguay in 1945 and moved on first to Argentine and then throughout Latin America. When the trio's contract ended, the three, then in Mexico City, re-formed as Trío Paraguayo and settled in Peru. In 1952, Paraná returned to Paraguay.

1953–1956

Through the efforts of politician and poet Epifanio Méndez Fleitas to promote Paraguayan music in Europe, a new group, Trío Los Paraguayos, was formed with Paraná, Digno García and Agustín Barboza. The president of Paraguay, Federico Chaves, and his finance minister, Guillermo Enciso Velloso, signed an executive decree in November 1953 providing each member of the trio the sum of US$3200 (equivalent to $38,500 in 2025) and diplomatic passports for what was called an "official cultural mission".