Peruvian folk will win you no cool points. Of course, a plus side of this is that you may find your finger dexterity improves drastically from repeated attempts to sppedily close Spotify when people enter your room unannounced. But leaving a Soundcloud Peruvian folk playlist in full view of everyone in the Rad Cam will likely illicit nothing except vague contempt, or perhaps polite confusion, if anyone is bothered to look in the first place.
The Peruvian folk genre here encompasses a broad range of styles emerging from the sprawling Andean regions of South America. Wind pipes predominate, as do small guitars called charangos; songs are often sung in indigenous languages such as Quechua or Aymara – celebrating these indigenous folk traditions has proved an important element in restoring dignity and hope to the marginalised indigenous communities of Latin America.
And while Peruvian folk may lack the immediacy and visceral thrill of, say, EDM, at least it’s mercifully less fusty than English folk. So whether you want to relive the gap year or you just want to bring music back to its roots (maaaaan), Peruvian folk is an expansive and highly accessible genre. Exhibiting mellifluous harmonies alongside punchy basslines, Peruvian folk remains a powerful and unjustifiably maligned genre in today’s music milieu.
Wayna Picchu – Sisagu (San Juanito)
The Big Cheese (or should that be el queso grande) of the Andean folk world, Wayna Picchu is truly a folk God. With Sisagu’s killer beat and ebullient choral overtones, things will soon start to feel more Cuzco, less Tesco …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiYnhxWzkoE&list=PL2A85A5980CDE3822
Oro Verde – Tankar Peru
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qi-ky_qKDc
There’s a lot of ‘the human voice’ (I mean shouting) in this track; bathe in the vibes and witness some Peruvian inter-tribal dialogue first-hand.
Grupo Andes – El Condor Pasa
The most instantly recognisable folk song to come out of the Machu Picchu environs; Simon and Garfunkel famously covered it, but for true authenticity, look no further than this version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDmAQ45asyc
Huayno De La Roca – Los Incas
Showcasing the finest wind pipes west of Rio by another big name in the Andean folk world, this is pretty much as traditional as it gets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhumvhOO6kE
Wayna Picchu – Pasion de Saya
Because one Picchu track is never enough.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PvBwOOlUbs&list=PL2A85A5980CDE3822
