Folk Music Focus

 

Music of the Andes

 

In South America, the people who live in the Andes mountains have their own culture, traditional clothing, food, and music!  You can tell a song is from the Andes when you hear the beautiful flute music.  There are many kinds of flutes in the Andes.  Some look like a recorder, like the tarkas the boys are playing.  Some look like panflutes (many tubes tied together) like the siku the man in the middle of the big group is holding.  What other instruments do they play in the Andes?  Can you tell from the picture?

 

   

 

 

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The Guiro

Listening Activity

The guiro is another instrument from the Andes.

Listen to the guiro playing the song, "Christmas Dance".  Click here to listen

Now,  listen to "Christmas Dance" with the other instruments and the singer.

Did you hear the guiro?   Listen to the song without the guiro.

Do you hear the difference?   Try it altogether one more time.