KHANAURU

ABOUT ANDEAN MUSIC

2010-11-11T00:26:00.003-05:00

ABOUT ANDEAN MUSIC Out from the depths of endless valleys, out from the peaks and glaciers of untouched mountains, out from the greenest of rainforests... this is the landscape in which, since time immemorial, the music of the Andes has been forged throughout the course of history. It is a history of tragedy and triumph.
Mistakenly called "Inca Music", present day Andean folk music is the product of centuries of cultural and ethnic intermixing. The wind and percussion instruments indigenous to the Andean world existed in Pre-Colombian America hundreds of years prior to the advent of the Incas (1200-1500 A.D.) Archaeological excavations have proven that certain musical instruments in the Andean highlands were being played well before the birth of Christ. The Incas were, however, responsible for the highest development of Pre-Colombian Andean music. Unprecedented in its domination of an expanse of territory stretching over the boundaries of present day Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, northeastern Chile and northwestern Argentina, the Inca dynasty created an empire that both imposed itself and incorporated various cultures.
The arrival of the first Spaniards to the Andean highlands in the beginning of the sixteenth century marked the beginning of the end for the Incas and many facets of their illustrious culture. Musically, it was the start of many transformations and the introduction of new instruments never before seen in the Americas. Here we have the appearance of the first stringed instruments: the guitar, mandolin, lute, harp and violin being the most notable.
Although confronted with a repressive colonial system in which native cultural, religious and artistic manifestations were often obliterated, the Andean highlander continued to search for new ways of expression. European instruments underwent transmutations by way of new musical styles or new forms of tuning. Perhaps the best example of native genius was the creation of the Charango, a small ten-stringed instrument descended from the lute and traditionally made in parts of Bolivia with the shell of an armadillo. Also incorporated was the European system of musical notation, though many villages and regions remain faithful to native notation..
The highland music of Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, northeastern Chile and northwestwern Argentina forms the backbone of Andean folk music. There is no mainstream as each region and village is unique in terms of instruments, dance, tuning and rhythm. The richness and variety are seemingly without end.
The music we offer is but a small sampling of the music found in Andean countries. It is testimony to the endurance of Andean culture and to the many changes it has undergone for thousands of years. Moreover, it is an emblem of the development and evolutionary process that Andean music continues to experience

ANDEAN INSTRUMENTS

2009-05-14T19:31:00.007-04:00

...Sikus or Zampoñas

The panpipes or panflutes of the Aymara culture. They vary in size, tuning and pitch. The smallest and highest pitched is about four inches, while the largest and lowest pitched is about five feet long. They are made out of cane tubes and arranged in two rows in tonal order. From small to large they are named Ica, Malta, Zanka, and Toyo.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...Charangos

Ten string instrument from Potosi, Bolivia. Originally made of the shell of an armadillo, they are also made of wood in the present. It goes back to the time of the conquest of the Americas, and it was probably an imitation of the guitar brought by the Spaniards during that time.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...Quena

High pitch notched flute with seven finger holes. In ancient times it was made out of bones and cane. In the present it is being made of wood and cane. The Quena was also characteristic of the Quechua culture which extended from Ecuador to Peru.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...Drums and Percussion

Drum and percussion instruments are made out of wood and goat skin. They vary in shapes and sizes.

ABOUT KHANAURU

2009-05-12T12:20:00.024-04:00

From the heart of South America, KHANA URU brings to life the rich heritage of Aymara Cultures. Colorful native costumes and unique Andean instruments which are handmade from armadillo shells, llama skins and various hollow reeds, which makes their presentation both authentic and entertaining.KHANA URU keeps delighting audiences time and time again.

KHANA URU has enchanted audiences throughout Western United States, Latin America, with their authentic costumes, instruments bringing the sounds of South America to life in the schools, colleges and concert halls.

BIOGRAPHY

Cidar Lima was born and raised in Bolivia. He began his music career at age eighteen. Cidar plays a wide variety of flute instruments. In 2000 Cidar released his first debut CD entitled KHANA (Light); a compilation of Bolivian and South American rhythms. Since 1996 he toured North America. Providing performances for workshops, universities, schools, festivals, create his own style later on. The style can be defined by its characteristic mix of culturally diverse rhythms and use of electronic and digital effects in contemporary World Music