Che Apalache is a four-man string band formed in Buenos Aires in 2013 with members from Argentina, Mexico and the United States. The group’s founder is Joe Troop, a North Carolinian multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and composer who moved to Argentina in 2010. While patiently carving out a niche in the local music scene, Joe taught bluegrass and old-time for a living.

Corralling three of his most dedicated students, Che Apalache was born. What began as a bluegrass band quickly incorporated Latin American styles into their repertoire. With a combination of instrumental prowess and tight vocal harmonies, they have curated an unusual blend of genres to reflect the nature of their lives, evoking images from Appalachia to the Andes.

Their last album, Rearrange My Heart (2019) was produced by banjo legend Béla Fleck and nominated for Best Folk Album at the GRAMMY Awards that year.

In March 2020, weeks after walking the red carpet, Che Apalache’s momentous ascent in the North American music scene was completely decimated by the pandemic, sending them scurrying back to their places of origin across the Americas and on lockdown.

In 2027, for the first time in seven years, Che Apalache will return to the United States to delight audiences with their unique cultural exchange - from bluegrass to candombe, gospel to Latin jazz.

The current iteration of the ensemble is Joe Troop (fiddle), Franco Martino (guitar), Pau Barjau (banjo), and Omar Ruiz-Lopez (mandolin).