THE CHARANGO

 

The charango is a stringed musical instrument typical of South America, especially in countries like Bolivia, Peru, and parts of Argentina and Chile. Its origin dates back to the time of the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. It is believed that the charango is an adaptation of pre-existing indigenous instruments, influenced by the arrival of the Spaniards and their guitars.

 The name "charango" comes from the Quechua word "ch'arango" or "charangu," which refers to a type of small guitar. Over the centuries, the charango has evolved and diversified into different regional variants with unique characteristics. It is known for its small body and distinctive bright and high-pitched sound, making it popular in the folk music of the Andean region.

The charango is an essential musical instrument in traditional Andean music, and its history is closely tied to the indigenous culture of the region. Over the years, it has been used in a variety of musical genres, from folk music to contemporary music.

The body of the charango is traditionally made from the shell of an armadillo, although nowadays other materials such as wood or plastic are also used. Currently some countries prohibit the use of armadillo shell for the manufacture of the charango.The strings are made from nylon or animal gut, and the instrument is played using a technique of strumming and fingerpicking.

 

In Andean music, the charango is used to accompany songs and melodies, often in musical ensembles known as "charango groups." Its distinctive sound adds a unique character to Andean music and has been widely embraced throughout Latin America.

Furthermore, the charango has gained international recognition and has been used in various musical fusions, blending elements of traditional Andean music with other genres such as rock and jazz. Its versatility and uniqueness have made it an instrument cherished by both traditional musicians and those looking to experiment with new musical forms.

In summary, the charango is a musical instrument with a rich cultural history in the Andean region of South America and has left a lasting imprint on the continent's music.

IIn the video: Successful Peruvian singer-songwriter: Gianmarco singing and playing his charango.

 

 

How musical instruments were tuned in the Inca culture

 

 

The Inca culture, which flourished in ancient Peru from about the 15th century until the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, had its own musical and tuning practices. Although we do not have detailed records of how they precisely tuned their instruments, we can infer some things about their music and tuning based on the information available about their instruments and musical traditions. 

 

The Incas used a variety of musical instruments, some of which included: 

1. **Quenas**: As I mentioned previously in another article, quenas are wind instruments from the flute family that were played by blowing air through them. The tuning of the Inca quenas could vary, but they were generally adapted to the pentatonic scale, which consists of five notes and is common in many musical cultures around the world.

 

2. **Drums and percussion**: The Incas also used drums and other percussion instruments. The tuning of these instruments may vary depending on their construction and specific purpose. Hand drums, for example, were tuned by hitting different areas of the drum surface to obtain different pitches. 

 

3. **String instruments**: The Incas did not know string musical instruments until Spanish colonization. When they discovered the guitar, they modified it until they obtained the "charango", a type of small string guitar, similar to the lute. The tuning of these instruments was probably based on specific scales and varied depending on the music to be performed. 

 

 

 

4. **Ceremonies and rituals**: Music in Inca culture played a fundamental role in religious ceremonies and rituals. In these cases, the tuning could have been related to spiritual and symbolic aspects of the music, rather than a specific tuning in terms of Hertzian frequencies. In summary, although we do not have exact tuning in hertz like that used in contemporary Western music, we know that Inca music was based on specific scales and modes, and that instruments were tuned according to their musical and cultural traditions. Inca music played an important role in the life of this ancient civilization, both religiously and socially, and followed musical patterns and structures specific to their time and culture.