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The Humahuaca Valley

Musician and writer Banning Eyre travels to northwest Argentina, to hear the songs and carnival music of the Quebrada de Humahuaca, with local musician Tomas Lipan as his guide.

Banning Eyre heads into northwest Argentina, travelling through the provinces of Salta and Jujuy to hear the songs and carnival music of the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a mountain valley in the foothills of the Andes.

Away from the Europe-centric metropolis of Buenos Aires, the northwest of Argentina is characterised by a history of invasion, where indigenous groups such as the Aymara and Coya were conquered first by Incas from the Altiplano, then by the earliest Spanish conquistadors in the 15th Century. The music of the Humahuaca valley is a mix of pan-pipes and end-blown flutes, frame drums and cow horns, mixed with guitars, accordions and mandolins; songs are sung in Spanish as well as Quechua, and the Virgin Mary is venerated alongside Pachamama.

In the fertile Humahuaca valley Banning meets local musician Tomas Lipan, who tells stories of his childhood embarrassment at eating local foods and playing indigenous instruments, rather than eating spaghetti and playing guitar, and the cultural pressure he felt not to express his indigenous heritage. He sings with immense love of his hometown Purmamarca.

Fortunato Ramos, poet, teacher, restaurant owner plays carnival music with his band in the town of Humahuaca, as well as the spectacularly long horn, the erquencho.

Michaela Chauque is a young quena (end blown flute) player, who draws heavily on the ancestral music, and performs a song about the Pucara de Tilcara, a pre-Incan fortress, as well as singing Coplas from the Tilcara Carnival.

Banning also discovers a mechanical Saint that delivers clockwork benedictions.

Available now

1 hour

Last on

Sat 16 Oct 2010 15:00

Music Played

  • Tomás Lipán

    Purmamarca

    Composer: Gueyo Mealla

    • BBC Recording by sound engineer Andrew Smillie in Purmamarca, Argentina, May 2010.
  • Tomás Lipán

    Copla

    Composer:

    • BBC Recording by sound engineer Andrew Smillie in Purmamarca, Argentina, May 2010.
  • Tomás Lipán

    La Linda Margherita

    Composer: Jose Maria Mercado

    • BBC Recording by sound engineer Andrew Smillie in Purmamarca, Argentina, May 2010.
  • Fortunato Ramos

    Taquiña

    Composer: Trad Performers: Carlos Toconás (guitar), Hernán Lahas (charango), Cristian Urbina (quena, zampons, chas chas), Darío Urbina (bombo), Gonzalo Puchades (electric bass)

    • BBC Recording by sound engineer Andrew Smillie at the Peña Fortunato Ramos, Humahuaca, Argentina, May 2010.
  • Fortunato Ramos

    El Quebradeño

    Composer: Trad Performers: Tomás Lipán (guitar and voice), Carlos Toconás (guitar), Hernán Lahas (charango), Cristian Urbina (quena, zampons, chas chas), Darío Urbina (bombo), Gonzalo Puchades (electric bass)

    • BBC Recording by sound engineer Andrew Smillie at the Peña Fortunato Ramos, Humahuaca, Argentina, May 2010.
  • Michaela Chauque

    Chauque - El Antigal

    Composer: Trad

    • BBC Recording by sound engineer Andrew Smillie at the Pucara de Tilcara, Argentina, May 2010.
  • Michaela Chauque

    Copla Vallista

    Composer: Trad

    • BBC Recording by sound engineer Andrew Smillie at the Pucara de Tilcara, Argentina, May 2010.
  • Michaela Chauque

    Coplas de Carnival

    Composer: Trad

    • BBC Recording by sound engineer Andrew Smillie at the Pucara de Tilcara, Argentina, May 2010.
  • Grupo Chakra

    Soy de la Puna

    Composer: José María Mercado Performers: Tomás Lipán (sikus and voice)

    • BBC Recording by sound engineer Andrew Smillie at the Pucara de Tilcara, Argentina, May 2010.
  • Grupo Chakra

    Santa Rosa / Saca Tripa

    Composer: Trad Performers: Tomás Lipán (sikus)

    • BBC Recording by sound engineer Andrew Smillie at the Pucara de Tilcara, Argentina, May 2010.
  • Grupo Chakra

    Carnival Music

    Composer: Trad Performers: Tomás Lipán (anata)

    • BBC Recording by sound engineer Andrew Smillie at the Pucara de Tilcara, Argentina, May 2010.
  • Bagualero Vasquez

    Coplas

    Composer: Trad

    • BBC Recording by sound engineer Andrew Smillie in Salta, Argentina, May 2010.
  • Bagualero Vasquez

    Coplas

    Composer: Trad Performers: Tomas Lipan, Silvia Barrios (voice, caja)

    • BBC Recording by sound engineer Andrew Smillie in Salta, Argentina, May 2010.

Broadcast

  • Sat 16 Oct 2010 15:00

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