Biography

Oscar Reynolds & Karumanta Biography             
                                                                                                                            
With a professional career of over 40 years in music, Bolivian-born artist Oscar Reynolds has recently received honors from the Bolivian government under Evo Morales' administration for his lifetime achievement in music and dedication in developing, performing, and promoting Bolivian music in Bolivia and around the world. A leading advocate of Bolivian music, he also received the prestigious Arts Recognition Award in 2008 from the Arts & Culture Commission of Contra Costa County for his significant contributions in preserving, promoting, and educating U.S. audiences on the traditional arts of Bolivia. 

The California Legislature and Senate have also recognized Oscar's outstanding achievements and success in enriching the cultural life of California as a composer and performer of Bolivian music and the Board of Supervisors of Contra Costa County under Resolution Number 2008/668 have given him the highest commendation.

Reynolds is an accomplished composer, internationally-acclaimed Andean flute master, guitarist, flute-maker, recording engineer, and lawyer from the Andes Mountains of La Paz, perhaps best recognized for playing the Bolivian pan flutes and guitar simultaneously. The San Francisco Observer says, “Any flute player would marvel at the tight control over each note Reynolds displays while packing a stream of emotions into his complex scale runs, but to see him do that and play the guitar is quite impressive.”    

Reynolds, of Quechua Indian and Irish ancestry, first picked up a guitar at the age of 12. The first music he remembers was A Puerto Mont by Uruguay's Los Iracundos, of which he notes, "After listening to all the songs from this group, I taught myself to play these on guitar." Soon, he was teaching himself to play songs by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, and Carlos Santana. Over time, he expanded his expertise to master a variety of Andean flutes, bass, charango, keyboards, and percussion solely by watching other musicians. In his teens, Reynolds became the keyboardist in a Bolivian rock band that toured nationally. His musicianship garnered invitations to join several prestigious Andean bands with which he toured South America, Europe, and the United States.

Oscar obtained a law degree in 1987. After a short legal career, he returned to his love for music in 1991, forming the Bolivian band Karumanta Jamuyku (Quechua for “We have come from far away”), described by The East Bay Express as “the current favorite of fans in a field already overrun with excellent musicians, representing the purest traditional sound.” The band built a solid following while extensively touring the Western United States and South America.

In 2007, Reynolds was handpicked as one of San Francisco Bay Area's outstanding talents and performed for the Inauguration of Oakland Mayor Dellums at the Paramount Theater. He has shared the stage with Chuscales, one of today's leading flamenco guitarists, and notable Peruvian artists such as singer Cecilia Barraza, Susana Baca's bassist David Pinto, and Perú Negro’s Lalo Izquierdo, among others. His latest collaborative project with Lalo Izquierdo and the California Academy of Sciences was commissioned by the Creative Work Fund Grant for Traditional Arts.

Oscar has eight full-length albums to his credit under his own independent label Karumanta Music. His 2005 release "Río de Luz (River of Light)" was widely acclaimed by critics and the public, making its debut at #7 on the New Age Reporter charts. He has given live television performances on Telemundo, Univision, ABC News10, UPN 31, KTSF 26, NBC, etc. and his music has been featured on NPR’s Morning Edition, KRON 4’s Latin Eyes, the movie Follow Me Home, Pete Wilson’s KGO news talk program "The Best Music You've Never Heard," and Audio Visions on XM Satellite Radio, among over 850 NPR and PRI radio stations in the United States and abroad. 

Reynolds believes that music brings positive change to people's lives, and so he regularly works with non-profit organizations and charities to help the needy and donates portions of his concert proceeds to help the community.