The quena is a traditional bamboo or wooden flute used in many kinds of music found in the Andean mountains. A common quena has six finger holes and one hole for the thumb. The musician controls the airflow with both his or her mouth and fingers, creating a naturally rich tone.
COUNTRY: Andes (Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela)
KEY GENRES: Cumbia (Andean Cumbia), Nueva Cancion
FEATURED ON: Niño Colla (AATW: Latin America), Tambobambino (AATW: Latin America)
This Andean folk song is a story of a boy from the small town of Tambobamba in Southern Peru who foolishly walks outside in the rain carrying his charango (a little guitar-like instrument). There are many versions of this song found in Peru, and most are much darker in theme than this one. An example of the song’s alternate lyrics, when used as a funeral song: “The river of blood has brought a lover from Tambobambo. Only his tinya is floating, only his charango is floating, only his quena is floating.” Wisely, All Around This World decided to not use the alternate lyrics in class.
The song was orignally in Quechua, which is a language with many variants spoken throughout in the Andes.
Country: Peru
Language: Quechua
Genre on CD: Andean Cumbia
Instruments on CD: Charango, Quena
LYRICS OF ALL AROUND THIS WORLD VERSION
Tambobambino maqt’acha, tambobambino maqt’acha,
Tambobambino maqt’acha, Oh what a foolish boy you are.
¡Wifalita wifala, wifalata wifala, Wifalita wifala, wifalala, wifala!
Vocals: Sofia Rei
Spoken and background vocals: Jay Sand
Charango and quena/panpipes: Patricio Acevedo
Vocals recorded at Headgear Recording, Brooklyn, New York
Instruments engineered by Erich Miller
"Tambobambino" is traditional, arrangement by Jay Sand, Instrumental arrangement by Arturo Stable
Niño Colla is a Spanish song about a boy from the Coya (Kolla) community of Northern Argentina who, living alone on his little ranch, sets off on a walk up into the hills. In the original he is wearing a “poncho,” a sombrero and one leather sandal, known as an “ojota.” He is also accompanied by his donkey and dog and plays his quena flute on the way.
Most Kolla live in “yungas,” which are “misty forests” found high in the Andes mountains. When the Kolla people have made the international news over the last couple decades the story usually has to do with their protesting agribusiness and mining interests encroaching on the yungas and other native lands.
Country: Argentina
Language: Spanish
Genre on CD: Andean Cumbia
Instruments on CD: Quena, charango
Meet Kollamarka, a generations-old performing ensemble that celebrates Andean music
Vocals: Pedro Ortiz
Charango and quena/panpipes: Patricio Acevedo
Percussion: Arturo Stable
Engineered by Erich Miller
Niño Colla is traditional, English lyrics and arrangement by Jay Sand, Instrumental arrangement by Arturo Stable
