Death in Paris of Argentine composer Jorge Milchberg, famous for "El Condor pasa"

Argentinian musician and composer Jorge Milchberg, famous for having adapted and recorded in the 1960s "El Condor pasa" which became probably the most famous Andean melody in the world, died in Paris at the age of 93, the embassy announced on Friday August 26. from Argentina.

Jorge Milchberg, born in Buenos Aires in 1928 to Polish parents but who had lived in France since 1955, died on August 20, but his death was not announced until Friday by his family and by the embassy.

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A classically trained pianist, but a world-renowned charango (Andean plucked-string guitar) player, Milchberg was a member and artistic director for nearly 60 years of "

", an iconic Andean music group founded in the 1950s. in Paris, and which has multiplied international tours, the embassy said in a press release.

Los Incas, also known as Urubamba, recorded in 1963 "

" (the condor passes), then again with arrangements by Milchberg and lyrics by Paul Simon, a version sung by the New York folk duo Simon and Garfunkel, under the title "

", in their album "

" (1970).

Initially, the theme of "

" was taken from a zarzuela, a musical theater piece of the same name, created in 1913 by the Peruvian composer Daniel Alomia Robles, but in a version for orchestra.

Milchberg's version for reduced ensemble, and the Simon and Garfunkel title that became a folk standard, contributed to the spectacular fame of "

", which has gone through countless versions, and led to a renewed interest in Latin American music.

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and

Milchberg, underlines the site of Los Incas, foreshadowed the “

”, but unheard of in the 60s and 70s.

Jorge Milchberg will be buried in his town of Thénisy (Seine-et-Marne), specifies the embassy.