In Ecuador, a country in the Andes of South America, there is a city named Otavalo, a land of beautiful valleys, lakes and volcanoes, one that is rich in tradition and is rooted in its native ancestry.

Its folklore is varied; each village expresses itself through its art and music. In order to keep the past alive for their children and to share their heritage with the world, the people of Otavalo have traditionally been the producers of their own unique music and craft.

In 1983 five Otavalan youths wanted to continue this legend through their love of music. The group was named SUMAKTA-INCAS, a Quechuan term meaning "from the deepest of the Inca's Soul."

Over the years the group has provided quality performances throughout Europe, Canada, and the United States.

For more information:

At Festival Latino 2002, Columbus, Ohio

Listen to a sample of their music

At 2002 Multicultural Unity Day

The Instruments:

The Quena: A resonant cane flute with seven holes, it is one of the oldest Andean instruments.

More about the quena

The Zampoña: It is made of several bamboo tubes of various sizes tied together in two rows to create a diatonic scale.

A zampoña store

More about the zampoña

The Rondador: Its is tuned in the pentatonic scale, each note of the scale is followed by its lower third, allowing the musician to play the melody and its harmony when the two adjacent pipes are blown simultaneously.

The Charango: Its is the only stringed instrument native to the Andes; it has ten strings and is made out of armadillo shell or out of wood.

More about the charango

Drums, congas, and bongos in several sizes and shapes are used in Andean music, some of them dating back several thousand years, others are new instruments created or adapted from European influence.

Sumakta uses many stringed instruments in their performances, such as guitar, violin, tiple, bandolin, mandolin, and charango.

Back to Resources page