Track Listing

1. Wipala
2. Camino a Inkuyo
3. Uña
4. Virgen de los Peñas
5. Tierra Callawaya
6. Amanece en Visviri
7. Khusillo
8. Jach'a Marka
9. Samay
10. Flor de Mamiña
11. Cultura Andina
12. Apu
13. Selection of Tinkus
14. Ponchos Rojos/Mi Mala Suerte
15. Surco
16. Peshte Longuita
17. Carnaval
18. Silencio
19. Carnaval Cruceño

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #85210 in Music
• Released on: 1991-10-16
• Number of discs: 1

Album Description
Inkuyo, a group of accomplished musicians, brings the ancient instruments and songs of the majestic Andean highlands and of their Incan heritage, firmly into the 20th century. They take their name and inspiration from a remote mountain village high in the heart of the Andes where the people live as their ancestors have lived for centuries, and where music is an integral part of daily life.

Performing on the quena (a resonant cane flute), an assortment of pan-pipes, Andean drums and other percussion instruments, as well as specially constructed versions of the guitar, violin, harp, and tiple (introduced by the Spanish), the members of Inkuyo conjure a heady atmosphere of scintillating melodies and spicy, South American rhythms. The nineteen selections featured cover a vast musical territory inspired by Incan legends and the music of various tribes that pre-dated, or descended from, this great culture. Included on this recording are festive dances from Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador, pre-Colombian melodies, Andean love songs, and the music of the Callawaya, an isolated society of medicine men and magicians who retain to this day the ancient mystical knowledge and musical forms of the Incas. The recording also provides an example of tradition in transition, offering modern compositions inspired by the Chilean New Song movement, and folk-inspired originals from the members of Inkuyo.

About the Artist
An internationally recognized virtuoso of pan-pipes and South American flutes, Inkuyo founder Gonzalo Vargas, inherited his traditional musical knowledge growing up in the remote Andean village of Tapajkari, Bolivia. His desire to perform, study, and teach his ancestral music led him to work with numerous ensembles in his native land. He then played a key role in introducing Andean music to the United States and Canada as one of the founders of Sukay. In creating Inkuyo, Vargas brought together the talents of musicians who are well versed in the Andean musical heritage.

Pamela Darington, a fifth generation Californian, studied South American cultures and languages in college. In 1983, as part of the group Takisun, she began performing with Vargas at festivals and concerts in the Bay area. Jorge Tapia and Omar Sepulveda are both Chilean refugees. For Tapia, music is a way of remaining close to his Chilean roots. A founder of Kamanchaka, he has helped cultivate awareness of the plight of the Chilean people. Sepulveda performed with Venceremos, Kamanchaka, and Sukay before joining Inkuyo in 1988.

Inkuyo's reordings for Celestial Harmonies/Fortuna Records are Land of the Incas (17064-2), Temple of the Sun (17080-2), The Double-Headed Serpent (13070-2), Art from Sacred Landscapes (13088-2), Ancient Sun (13093-2), Window to the Andes (13173-2) and Pachakuti: The Overturning of Space-Time (13276-2).

Customer Reviews

*BEST* Traditional Music CD of Andes/S.America/Incas
Heard Inkuyu's "Land of the Incas" in a "Natural Wonders" Store about 15 years ago and it has been my favorite CD of South America music ever since. The traditional instruments, rhythms and melodies are played with authenticity and joyful exuberance. The liner notes are superb for interpreting the history and origin of the songs. Truly ancient rituals, festivals, and ordinairy life of the Incas come alive in the imagination of the listener. One is transported to another time and culture.

Music in the the diablada, kantu, saya, yaravi, huayao, carnaval, and San Jacinto, rhythms played on the panpipes, quenas, and stringed instruments transmit the energy, beauty, flow of life, joy, sadness and harmony of this unique part of the world. If you can not afford a trip to the Andes Mountains to hear the traditional music of the hidden villages live ... this is the next best thing! Erika Borsos (erikab93)

Wonderful mood uplifter
In this album Inkuyo plays a medley of traditional and contemporary compositions with traditional Andean instruments (flute, panpipes, guitar and drums). The tunes are mostly joyful with a few melancholy ones.The music, which is purely instrumental (except for one track),is through and through traditional with no concessions made to New Age or Pop styles.

It is however my opinion that Inkuyo has removed some of the rough edges of popular Andean music to better please our Western ears, at least this is what I feel when I compare the songs on this cd with other folk-music from the Andes that I have.But this is an improvement , not an impoverishment.

The quality of the recording is outstanding and the music a real delight for the ear and the heart. Besides, this is a very long cd:68 minutes! And unlike other albums that only have one or two good songs, every single track of "Land of the Incas" is beautiful and worth listening to. If you like Peruvian music or are looking for music to lift up your spirits, this is definetely a great buy.

Magical
I do not know why I am so drawn to this music. As far as I know none of my ancestors were from anywhere close to the Andes. But when I listen to this CD I am transported to lush green valleys through which clear rivers tumble, and above which tower majestic peaks. This music carries me away, and that (in my opinion) is what music is for.

The fact that the recording quality is superb doesn't hurt, either.