Los Huayra were an Argentine folk group from Salta, formed in 1995 by Juan José Vasconcellos (guitar), Juan Fuentes (vocals, guitar), Sebastián Giménez (guitar, charango), Luis Benavidez (keyboards), Hernando Mónico (bass), and Álvaro Plaza (drums). They started out under the name Huayra Sale, first performing in peñas, festivals, and regional circuits in northwestern Argentina, and by the mid-2000s they had released their self-titled debut album, Los Huayra, and earned the Revelation prize at the Festival Nacional de Doma y Folklore de Jesús María. Their second album, La Voz del Viento (2007), included one of their signature songs, “La Noche Sin Ti,” while Código de Barro (2008) expanded their profile with songs such as “Si Te Vas.” In 2009 they were named Consagración at the Cosquín Folklore Festival, a major milestone that preceded a productive next phase: in 2011 they issued both Pueblo and Misa Criolla, with the latter winning a Gardel Award in 2012. They followed with their only live album, Vivo (2013), then returned in 2016 with Gira, produced by Rafa Arcaute and presented at Buenos Aires’ Teatro Ópera; the album also earned a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album. Los Huayra remained one of the prominent names in contemporary Argentine folk until their 2019 breakup, after which Juan Fuentes launched a solo career and Vasconcellos, Giménez, and Mónico went on to form Ahyre. In 2026, their song “La Noche Sin Ti” entered the Argentine Billboard charts at number 18.
