Andean music
Andean music encompasses diverse musical traditions from the Andes, shaped by regional instruments, rhythms, melodies, and cultural histories.
Pan flute: A wind instrument made from a row or bundle of pipes of different lengths, each producing a distinct pitch. Andean panpipes, including siku and antara, carry interlocking melodies in many regional ensembles.
Carnavalito: A lively Andean song-and-dance genre associated with carnival celebrations in the central Andes. Its festive repertory connects regional music with carnival processions and communal dancing.
Inca music: Musical practices of the Inca Empire, known largely through archaeological evidence and colonial-era accounts. Inca instruments and ceremonial practices form part of the historical background to later Andean traditions.
Nueva canción: A Latin American musical movement that combined folk idioms with political and social themes, especially from the 1960s onward. Its politically oriented songwriting drew on Andean sounds but extends beyond regional folk traditions.
Quena: An Andean end-blown flute, traditionally made of cane, with a notched mouthpiece. Its breathy tone and flexible phrasing are central to many highland melodies.
Caporales: A Bolivian folkloric dance and music tradition developed in the twentieth century, featuring energetic choreography and brass-led arrangements. Its staged performances show how Andean-derived music circulates through modern festivals and dance groups.
Aymara people: An Indigenous people of the central Andes, especially Bolivia, Peru, and northern Chile. Aymara communities sustain distinctive panpipe traditions and communal performance practices.
Chicha music: A Peruvian popular music genre blending cumbia rhythms with electric guitars and Andean influences. Chicha demonstrates how Andean musical elements enter urban popular genres without being identical to traditional forms.
Charango: A small Andean string instrument, traditionally built with a wooden body and five paired courses of strings. Its bright, percussive sound supplies rhythmic and harmonic support in Andean ensembles.
Diablada: A Bolivian and Andean dance-drama in which masked dancers portray devils and other figures. Its brass bands and processions accompany a prominent Andean festival performance tradition.