Armando "Pibe" Aráuz

Ecuadorian guitarist, bassist, and composer of paternal German heritage, born in Guayaquil. When he was 11 years old he was a member of the trio Los Campiranos and with Hermanos Montecel they founded the trio Montecel-Aráuz. He studied at the Conservatorio Nacional Antonio Neumane for 5 years. Besides guitar, he also studied and played the contrabass. He played in various tropical orchestras until 1957, when he founded Armando Aráuz Y Su Conjunto. He was a pioneer of the electric guitar in Ecuador and was one of the first to record Ecuadorian music played on it.