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‘Che Apalache’ Strums Bluegrass From Buenos Aires

WUNC News | By Anita Rao,
Frank Stasio
Published July 21, 2017 at 11:24 AM EDT

The word ‘che’ is ubiquitous on the streets of Argentina. It is a term of endearment that people use often in casual conversation – similar to a word like buddy in American slang. So when North Carolina native Joe Troop decided to form a band in Buenos Aires with a group of his students, he found it fitting to characterize themselves using the term ‘che.’ The band Che Apalache is comprised of four musicians from three countries who fuse Appalachian folk with Latin American music. 

Host Frank Stasio talks with Che Apalache about their origin story and sound.The band will be playing shows at venues throughout North Carolina for the next few weeks.

Host Frank Stasio talks with Che Apalache about their origin story and sound. Che Apalache is Joe Troop on fiddle and lead vocals, Pau Andrés Barjau Mateu on banjo and vocals, Franco Martino on guitar and vocals, Martin Bobrik on mandolin and vocals. The band will be playing shows at venues throughout North Carolina for the next few weeks.

Che Apalache is Joe Troop (fiddle, vocals), Pau Andrés Barjau Mateu (banjo, vocals), Franco Martino (guitar, vocals), Martin Bobrik (mandolin, vocals).
Che Apalache / Che Apalache
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Che Apalache
Che Apalache is Joe Troop (fiddle, vocals), Pau Andrés Barjau Mateu (banjo, vocals), Franco Martino (guitar, vocals), Martin Bobrik (mandolin, vocals).

Copyright 2017 North Carolina Public Radio
Anita Rao
Anita Rao is the host and creator of "Embodied," a live, weekly radio show and seasonal podcast about sex, relationships & health. She's also the managing editor of WUNC's on-demand content. She has traveled the country recording interviews for the Peabody Award-winning StoryCorps production department, founded and launched a podcast about millennial feminism in the South, and served as the managing editor and regular host of "The State of Things," North Carolina Public Radio's flagship daily, live talk show. Anita was born in a small coal-mining town in Northeast England but spent most of her life growing up in Iowa and has a fond affection for the Midwest.
See stories by Anita Rao
Frank Stasio
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
See stories by Frank Stasio