Music of Tawantinsuyu
Pay attention that practically all the Andean music played without strings instruments, only on flutes and drums, has pre-Hispanic origins and sounds almost exactly as 500 years ago. String instruments are introduced by spaniards, but thanks to the creative talent of the peoples of the Andes they were able not only to master these instruments deeply but create such peculiar, purely indigenous instruments as the charango and the Andean harp.
Andes people created a lot of original genres with firmly established different melodic and rhythmic structures. Practically all the traditional Andean music is ritual and the performance of certain genres is tied to the agricultural calendar. Since pre-Hispanic times, only the religious addressing of genres, from ancient gods to Catholic saints, has changed.
The whole life of Tawantinsuyu inhabitants was surrounded and impregnated with music. Music sounded not only on holidays, but also on weekdays. Peasants, artisans, builders, weavers, seamstresses did all the work with special songs. And, of course, songs and dances were an ideal way to express loveful feelings. Incas considered the dissemination of the musical culture a task of national importance.
1. Bolivia Manta. Their albums is an encyclopedia of Andean folklore, these dances and songs are collected in different parts of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, and the majority of tracks are authentical performance of traditional rural music.
All albums are highly recommended except Auki Pacha.
2. Musica Andina, Achachillanakaru album. Mostly rural music. Some songs directly mention Tawantinsuyu.
3. Ecuador (various artists), Jatun Cayambe album. Ecuadorian music, some tracks recorded with Juan Cayambe, native harpist.
4. Inkuyo, if you want to hear something more familiar to the western ear. A bit of academic sound with subtle arrangements. Native melodies alternate with nice personal compositions of Gonzalo Vargas. Recommended albums:
Land of the Incas
Temple of the Sun
The Double-Headed Serpent
Art from Sacred Landscapes
5. Manuelcha Prado, Guitarra Indigena album. Inimitable guitarist from Ayacucho, Peru, singing ayacuchan dialect if Quechua. Very melancholically.
To be continued...