Antigua Guatemala’s Soundtrack: Musicians Bringing the City to Life
Living in Antigua, we are fortunate to enjoy such a vibrant live music scene. From cafés and restaurants to lively bars and cultural venues, talented musicians perform across the city almost every night. It’s high time Qué Pasa shone a spotlight on some of these artists. Simply click to explore our events calendar and discover where they’ll be playing next.
The Payson is a musical group from Antigua Guatemala originally formed by two brothers who grew up surrounded by the city’s rich cultural and artistic life. That creative environment helped shape their sound and inspired them to develop a musical project that is both authentic and versatile.
With more than seven years of live performance experience, the band has built a reputation for its lively stage presence and natural connection with audiences. Their repertoire moves from timeless classics to today’s most popular hits, performed in both English and Spanish.
You can often find The Payson performing around Antigua at venues such as El Viejo Café, Cervecería 14, Tribu, and Finca San Cayetano. Through their social media channels, they keep followers up to date with upcoming performances and future projects.
Singer-songwriter Ishto Juevez began his musical journey travelling like a modern-day troubadour, singing on buses and in markets across Latin America and Europe. What started as an adventure soon evolved into a career, leading him to stages and small theatres while absorbing the rhythms and stories of many cultures.
His music blends humanitarian and migrant poetry with lively rhythms and swinging cumbias. After ten years abroad, he returned home and released three albums: CHAPUZchapin (2013), ELE Migrante (2014) and La Fortuna y sus Lados B (2016), the latter recorded in Los Angeles and co-produced with Guatemalan singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno. He has shared the stage with artists such as Café Tacvba and Natalia Lafourcade, and was selected to perform at SXSW 2019. Today, he continues to release songs from his extensive repertoire across major streaming platforms.
Born in New York, Nelson Lunding began playing the piano at the age of six and moved to New Orleans at eighteen. There he performed professionally on Bourbon Street, appeared nine times at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and became a familiar presence in the city’s vibrant club scene.
Hurricane Katrina marked a turning point in his life. After leaving New Orleans, Nelson performed seasonally across the United States, Mexico, Guatemala and Europe before arriving in Antigua in 2009. He quickly felt at home and now plays regularly at venues such as Panza Verde, Café No Sé, Las Palmas, and others.
In 2018 he represented Guatemala at the IGA National Day of Jazz and has released five albums to date. His music can be found online, and he can be followed on Facebook (NelsonLundingPiano) and Instagram (AntiguaPiano).
