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Cool Stuff: South American Music

Colorful Fabric At Market In Peru, South America Stock Photo, Picture And  Royalty Free Image. Image 20396459.

The South American culture is a unique and diverse culture. Because of the mix of indigenous people, European  and Asian colonizers, and the African slaves, the culture is a great representation of how all of these different styles of living combined into one beautiful culture. As I have mentioned before I am a flute player so obviously, I decided to research some about the flutes of South America. 

Pan Flute Vs. Quena

Pan Flute: The pan flute is made up of pipes ranging in diameter some smaller, some larger. The pipes are usually wooden and made up of bamboo or cane. However, now they can be made of plastic. Normally, the pipes are lined up horizontally and played like a harmonica. A sliding motion is used to create a new pitch. The timbre of this instrument is a lot more breathier than that of a Quena. 

Quena Flute: The Quena flute is the traditional flute of the Andes. Traditionally, it is made of wood and normally has about 6 holes and 1 thumb hole. There is an opening at the bottom and top of the flute. Generally, a musician would blow through the opening at the top and move their fingers to create different pitches which can then be turned into music! The timbre of this flute is much more crisper than that of the Pan flute and that is partly because of the way the air is being directed through it. 

Enjoy this video I found showing both the different types of flutes I mentioned, and listen to how beautiful and unique they each sound!


UCHPA

According to Spotify, UCHPA is a Peruvian band that create Andean rock music in Quecha, the native language of the Andean people. UCHPA in Quecha means "Ashes is what's left after war." This name was given to the band because of the lead singer's history with the police department in the 1980's. This band helps to preserve the Quechua language but also modernizes it through rock music. There is so much syncretism in their music, from electric guitars, to modern day violins. But they keep it traditional by keeping the language. I found this video below and thought it was a good mix of rock and blues. P.S. My dad even liked it... and he's super picky!



Hats of Peru and Bolivia


I was very interested in the style of clothing that the omen wore in Peru and Bolivia. I mean fashion almost always says something about you, whether its where you come from, what social status you're a part of, or even what sort of activities you might be interested in. I was interested in the many styles of hats that are worn. For example, there is a bowler hat. A bowler hat is worn, mostly by women and a working theory, according to Juergen from dare2go.com, the british Brough these hats over and because a mans hat was to be black not brown, one of the salesman convinced woman that all the European ladies were wearing the brown hats and it was the hottest fashion trend. Another hat, is  the straw hat. This hat is made up of woven grass. And even though these hats are woven magnificently, they still cost so much to the Peruvian people.in fact, sometimes it is the most expensive thing they own!


Comments

  1. I love the structure and design of the pan flute, especially due to its ties with Greek mythology! The traditional clothing and hats are also exceedingly intricate and well designed. As for UCHPA, the concept alone is enough to inspire, let alone the actual music and purpose. The combination of Incan folk and American rock/blues really creates a pleasing genre to listen to.

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  2. I really liked the first video of the flutes, it was so harmonic and beautiful, both the music and the nature in the video. My favorite is the panpipe because it can shift tones so smoothly. The UCHPA video was cool as well, I was mostly fascinated of the regalia. That hat must be so heavy to wear!

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  3. Hey Amber! I really enjoyed how you compared the Pan Flute to the Quena Flute. I never knew that there was such of a diversity when it comes to different types of flutes. Also, Thank you for sharing the UCHPA. I think that it is awesome to see the syncretism of cultures.

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  4. I liked that you added in the difference in between the instruments. I thought it was cool to learn about the different types of regalia there are. the UCHPA was really cool to listen to.

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  5. Hi Amber! I love the fact that UCHPA is trying to preserve their language while also incorporating modern day music into their songs. I also didn't know that their hats could be so expensive!

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  6. Hi! I enjoyed reading about all the things you researched about. I liked how you made the connection to research the flutes since you're a flute player. I was also surprised to find out that sometimes the straw hats are the most expensive item the Peruvian people wore.

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  7. Hey! I loved your description on the different types of flutes in this culture. You did an amazing job, it helped me understand it more! The video was absolutely beautiful too. I also enjoyed the part about the clothing. I think it is cool how they were keeping up with the latest fashion trends!

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