Javier Unsihuay

**Javier Unsihuay Bello** (July 18, 1949 – April 15, 2021) was a Peruvian saxophonist, composer, and bandleader widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the traditional music of Peru's Mantaro Valley. Known as **"The King of the Saxophone"** ("El Rey del Saxo"), he played a pivotal role in preserving and popularizing the Wanka musical tradition through a career spanning more than six decades.

Born in Huayucachi, in the Junín region of central Peru, Unsihuay developed an interest in music at an early age. He learned to play the saxophone at the age of twelve under the guidance of his uncle, musician Jacinto Unsihuay, and quickly established himself as a talented performer.

In the late 1960s, he founded **Los Internacionales Ases de Huayucachi**, an orchestra that would become one of the most celebrated and enduring ensembles in Peruvian folk music. As its musical director and principal saxophonist, Unsihuay helped define the group's distinctive sound, blending traditional genres such as huayno, huaylarsh, muliza, and santiago with the characteristic style of the Mantaro Valley's brass and wind ensembles. Throughout his career, he composed more than 200 musical works and collaborated with many of Peru's leading folk artists.