Mestizo is a group born in 2006 in the Côte-des-Neiges district of Montreal, and quickly set out to make Andean music known in Canada.

In the beginning, the group had no name, performing under the title of “Musiques des Andes”, then adopting the name “Willka Taki” (“sacred song” in Quechua).

In the beginning, the group performed instrumental songs with a deep Andean feeling, always looking for ways to transmit to the public the feeling of “Andean Dualism” – a philosophical thought specific to this culture – with a slightly different look, due to the multicultural character of its members.

In 2009, the group takes shape and organizes itself by appointing as Musical Director David Ruiz, musician of great experience and musical hearing. Mestizo adopts its final name, and begins to perform in different cultural activities of local diffusion in the greater Montreal area. It participates two years in a row (2010 and 2011) in the great MONTREAL PERUVIAN FESTIVAL, a festival well known in the Montreal community for almost 40 years, and also makes an appearance in the WEEK-ENDS DU MONDE festival (2011), among others.

Currently, the group has 7 members from different Central and Latin American countries – Chile, Peru and Mexico – which allows the group to perform music of very different registers, while attaching particular importance to the musical traditions of each piece. 

Mestizo spreads the richness of South American music: saya, huayno, sanjuanito, tinku, cueca, carnavalito, trote, etc. 

Their objective: to make this music known to the whole world!