Real name José Ángel Hevia Velasco, Spanish musician Hevia was born in Villaviciosa, Asturias, on October 11, 1967. He learned to play the gaita bagpipes at the age of seven, and was inspired by Asturian folk music rooted in the Celtic tradition. Trained by Armando Fernández, he won regional competitions and moved towards blending traditional music with contemporary sounds, playing on a MIDI electronic bagpipe he developed himself for stage performances. Hevia first came to prominence in 1992 at the Festival Interceltique in Lorient, France, where he won first prize for solo bagpipes, and went on to enjoy success with the album Tierra de Nadie (1998), released worldwide under the title No Man's Land. This included the track "Busindre Reel", remixed as a club version and charting in Spain, Germany and Japan. The musician, signed by Hispavox in Spain and EMI internationally, continued with the albums Al Oltro Lado / The Other Side (2000), Étnico Ma Non Troppo (2003) and Obsessión (2007). Two of his tracks, "La Linea Trazada" and "El Garrotin", feature on the soundtrack to the video game Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, released in 1999. After a two-volume public recording, Únicos en Concierto (2016), Hevia turned his attention to Latin music with Al Son del Indianu (2018). A compilation, Platinum Music Award - 25 Aniversario, was released in 2025.
