Vicente Carbonel Ruiz

A native of Peru, the land of the Inca, Vicente Carbonel Ruiz dedicated himself at an early age to the love and preservation of Andean musical culture.  Using a special combination of the “zampoña” (pan pipes), the “quena” (Peruvian flute), the guitar, the charango and other instruments, he travelled around Peru for several years, sharing this appreciation for his culture with the tourists and locals alike.  As a valued member of several Andean music groups during that time, Vicente became fondly known by all as “El Indio”.

Upon his arrival in Canada in November 2002, Vicente released his first album as a solo artist, “El Indio, International Favourites with a Peruvian Flair”.  After performing his music in several locations in and around Toronto, Vicente joined forces with another Latin musician, Jaime Torres, from El Salvador.  They enjoyed the particularly unique sound of the mixture of South and Central American styles.

After repeated requests by those who enjoyed their performances, Vicente and Jaime produced their first CD as a duo by the name of “U.R. Latino”.  The duo have travelled around Ontario and Manitoba promoting their album in musical festivals throughout the year.