What Bolivian altiplano panpipe music is all about
What Bolivian altiplano panpipe
music is all about
In traditional Bolivian society, in the high plains of the Andes (the altiplano), the panpipes are more than just an
instrument. Breath
is seen as the essence of life, so blowing the panpipes has deep importance.
It is significant that the shortest pipe is on the left, longest on the
right: the left to right is seen as the direction in which life and growth
travel.
In Quechua, a traditional language of Bolivia, there is no equivalent for
our word ‘music’. All instruments, tunes, songs and dances are in context
of the agricultural year (such as the harvest feast), religious festivals
or human relationships. There are about 40 days of feasts a year and these
define, focus and give rhythm to people’s lives.
Many of the tunes The Zampoñistas play have come from rituals. Usually a tune is played many, many times, players are fed and given chi cha (fermented corn drink) while the tune is still being played. The Zamps content themselves with a nice sav blanc after the gig!
To play, click on the link.
To download,right-click on the link and select "Save link as".
Salamanca de Morenada
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