Peruvian Music

The distinctive – some might say unmistakable – music of Peru springs from four separate founts, which have combined over the years to create a single richly-textured musical torrent infused with the unique energy of this ancient nation. The music of ancient Peru lives on in many musical forms, and in the instruments used in many modern performances – the haunting notes of a cane flute which seems as though it might have been heard on the mountainside below the terraces of Manchu Picchu in the days of the Inca is only one example.

Added to this distinctive groundwork of indigenous music, harking back to a heritage hundreds and perhaps thousands of years old, there are many other influences as well, brought first by the Spanish conquistadors, then by their African slaves, and most recently by the world-pervading influence of modern culture. All of these influences, rather than quashing the native music of Peru, have been absorbed by it, woven into it, and become part of it, extending its reach and vigor without removing its distinctive sound.

The Spanish brought fire and steel to cast down the Inca Empire and build an empire of their own in its place, led by the resourceful and merciless Francisco Pizarro, and then by others after his assassination. They brought European influences with them as well – and one of these influences was European music, as filtered through the Spanish lens. It is to them that modern Peruvian music owes many of its stringed instruments, directly descended from the Spanish guitar and lute. Again, local influences have left their mark, however, and the Spanish musical mode has been absorbed into the Peruvian harmonic landscape – while such local adaptations of European instruments as stringed instruments made from armadillo shells are also to be found in the Peruvian musical scene.

The African influence in Peruvian music began when the Spanish brought slaves to work the silver and gold mines which they had taken from the Incas. These unfortunates did not realize it at the time as they toiled with pick, shovel, and basket, but they and their descendants had an important role to play in developing the music of their new homeland as well. They were forced to improvise instruments, such as the box-based drum known as the cajon, which have since been refined and made part of the signature array of Peruvian instruments. This fact also serves to show how strong the human urge to make music is – even reduced to bondage and with only the most crude materials available, these Africans found a way to express themselves musically. Several major Peruvian musical and dance styles are descended from Angolan forms, including the lando and the Creole Waltz.

Finally, the 1950s and 1960s witnessed the inflow of modern cultural influences to the remote mountains of Peru. The Andean nation, ever alert for a new harmonic style to absorb, quickly spawned groups who made the most of these innovative sounds while giving them a unique Peruvian twist. At the same time as rock and jazz groups – and even blues groups – were emerging, there was also a resurgence of interest in traditional music, often encouraged by government initiatives. Thus, the musical development of Peru has continued – mingling forms as old as the eerily beautiful flute and drum pieces of the distant past and as new as the latest rock and roll.