Feierliche Klänge zur Inka Prozession („Kantu“), fröhliche Melodien und Rhythmen aus der „Ajawasi“, einer Taverne, in der Maisschnaps ausgeschenkt wird. Inkuyo - hier als Trio Vargas, Darington und Zamalloa - führt uns über ein breites Spektrum der Stimmungen und Feste zu alten Tempeln, heiligen Flüssen und Kultstätten.

the project

Imagine the haunting sounds of the wind blowing through the altiplano, the highlands of the Andes Mountains, and you will hear the sounds the ancient Incas tried to create in their music. The call of the pan–pipes echoing each other, the plaintive cries of the wooden bass flutes—these sounds evoked, and still evoke, the windswept, unchanging highlands of South America. Inkuyo, the American–based ensemble devoted to ancient and contemporary Andean music, uses dozens of traditional flutes, whistles, and pipes, as well as traditional percussion and strings, to capture the spirit of Andean music.

Art from Sacred Landscapes, like Inkuyo's last recording, The Double–Headed Serpent (13070), combines traditional Andean works with new compositions, all drawn from Incan tales and places. Most are instrumental featuring the sounds of the sikus (pan–pipes), the quena and antara (flutes), the charango (armadillo–shelled mandolin), and guitar. There are also two songs sung in Quechua, the language of the Incas which has never completely disappeared from the remote Andean heights.

While Andean music has become increasingly popular on the international scene, there are few ensembles that can match Inkuyo's expertise, research, and range of music. From the solemn, majestic sounds of the Kantu (an Inca processional march), to the festive Ajawasi (a kind of Andean tavern that serves corn liquor), Inkuyo presents a broad spectrum of moods and styles. All bear the timeless sound that characterizes Andean music—though not all are 500 years old. Many are new works written in the Andean tradition by Inkuyo's Gonzalo Vargas or Daniel Zamalloa. This is music that still contains echoes of the past and of the winds and mountains that inspired it.

the artists

Inkuyo is a trio: American multi-instrumentalist, Pamela Darington, has traveled extensively in Bolivia and plays strings, flute, and percussion. Bolivian composer and arranger, Gonzalo Vargas, was part of the group, Khanata, a formative influence in the renaissance of Andean music; he plays numerous wind instruments and drums. Peru's Daniel Zamalloa, was originally a violinist; now he adds traditional plucked strings and bass guitar to the ensemble. This CD, Inkuyo's fourth, also features guest artist, Jose Luis Reynolds, a charango and guitar player from Bolivia.

biography

discography

tracklist

1 Kantu 3'50"
2 Kalasasaya 5'06"
3 Vilcanota 2'58"
4 Kusi Huaman (Joyful Hawk) 4'25"
5 Alfamayo 4'16"
6 Pacha Siku (Earth Pan-Pipes) 2'59"
7 Ajawasi (Andean Tavern) 2'27"
8 Puma Punku (Gate of the Lions) 3'56"
9 Morenada De Los Sapos 3'48"
10 Azucenita (Little Lily) 5'03"
11 Buscando (In Search of) 3'54"
12 Sinchikay (Endurnance) 4'55"
13 Chunchus 3'27"
14 Sonqoy Urpi (Dove of My Heart) 4'46"
15 Santa Juana 3'21"
  Total Time: 60'11"