Pan flutist Leo Rojas, born Juan Leonardo Santillia Rojas in Ecuador in 1984, gained his widest recognition by capturing the 2011 edition of the German television competition Das Supertalent. After relocating first to Spain in 2000 and later settling in Germany, he shared a Berlin apartment with his Polish spouse and earned his living busking on the streets until a stranger directed him toward the casting program. Entering the fifth season as a competitor, Rojas advanced to the semifinals on the strength of his interpretation of “El Condór Pasa,” the melody most familiar from Simon & Garfunkel’s 1970 recording, before securing the overall victory with his take on “Einsamer Hirte,” the chart success composed by James Last and first popularized by Gheorghe Zamfir in 1977. Issued immediately after the finale, his single version of “Einsamer Hirte” climbed to number 48 on the German singles chart and paved the way for his debut album, Spirit of the Hawk. Crafted under the supervision of Dieter Bohlen, the record peaked at number two on the German album charts and included both of the aforementioned pieces alongside fresh renditions of John Barry’s theme from Dances with Wolves and Martin Böttcher’s “Winnetou.”
