Music of Peru
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Traditional Music of Peru
Traditional music of Peru is marked greatly by the use of panpipes, also known as panflutes, which are ancient musical instruments consisting of a series of vertical tubes, that have one end opened and one end closed, that are bound together by pieces of wood and some string. Panpipes can come in various shapes and sizes, with either one or two rows of tubes. Different types of Peruvian panpipes include the zampoña, siku, and antara. Traditional Peruvian music is also largely dominated by the national instrument, the charango and commonly the use of a classical guitar.
Panpipes and Panflutes
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The sound of a panpipe is created by blowing into the tubes in a downward manner creating resonance within the tube. Each tube has a different length, where the longer the tube the lower the pitch. They are typically made carefully of bamboo, but can also be made of wood, plastic, or metal. These flute-like instruments are typically found all across the Andes, with different shapes, sizes, and tunings depending on which town it originated across the mountain range. Some types of panpipes include the zampoña, siku, and antara, each with different types and sizes of their own.
Panpipes are typically played in at least pairs, with one player acting as the lead and the other playing off of the lead, but can be played solo or with many people. Another flute-like instrument common in this type of music is the quena, another type of Andean flute.
Charango and Guitar
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The charango is a 10-stringed mandolin that was invented in Bolivia. It is used predominantly as a stringed rhythmic instrument with a distinctive Spanish feel. In the Canas and Titicaca regions, the charango is used in courtship rituals, symbolically invoking mermaids with the instrument to lure the woman to the male performers. Until the 1960s, the charango was denigrated as an instrument of the rural poor. After the revolution in 1959, which built upon the Indigenismo movement (1910–1940), the charango was popularized among other performers.
The guitar is another popular instrument used in Peruvian music. Typically, a classical guitar is used which is a 6-stringed instrument made up of nylon strings, and can be strummed or plucked with the fingers. A guitar pick can be used, but most of the time it is played with the hand and fingers. Like the charango, it has also been used as a rhythmic instrument, but can also be used to produce beautiful melodies.
The electric guitar has begun to assimilate itself into Peruvian rock culture, so it is not necessarily entirely based around the classical guitar. However, traditionally the classical guitar is the guitar of choice.
Types of Peruvian Music
(in alphabetical order):
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| Latin American music |
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Argentina - Bolivia - Brazil - Chile - Colombia - Costa Rica - Cuba - Dominican Republic - Ecuador - El Salvador |
