Eva Ayllon was born María Angélica Ayllón Urbina on February 6, 1956, adopting the name "Eva" after her maternal grandmother. Eva began learning to sing from her grandmother at the age of three. Within years, she was singing at school youth competitions and later, on television and radio. In the early 70s, she appeared with a number of groups, including Rinconcito Monsefuano, La peña de los Ugarte, Los Mundialistas o Callejón as she began to define herself as one of the leading exponents of Peruvian "musica criolla" (creole music). This is a broad genre with both African and Spanish origins with roots in syncopated waltzes and polkas. Of musica criolla's varied styles, the most popular is the "marinera" - Peru's national dance, played typically on guitar and cajón and rooted in the Cueca of Chile and Bolivia.

From 1973-75, she was the lead voice in the trio "Los Kipus", eventually leaving the group to pursue a solo career. By 1979, she began touring internationally, with appearances in Europe, the United States, Canada, and Japan. In addition to "Musica Criolla," Ayllon frequently sings Afro-Peruvian landos and festejos and was featured on the 1994 Luaka Bop compilation, "The Soul of Black Peru."