Ramiro - exquisite Andean sounds
For many years I had been fascinated by the sound of Andean Music and culture. Consisting of raucous and loud melodies that include a wide variety of traditional instruments, Andean traditional music goes back to before the European discovery of South America. The artist featured in this article, Ramiro, is from Bolivia - one of the most mysterious countries in the world and where life rests upon three pillars: coca, Indian culture and Andean music. Ramiro is a singer, songwriter, musician, from La Paz (Bolivia’s capital), which is 3600 meters above sea level and even gets a mention in the Guiness book of world records for the highest altitude capital in the world. From a very early age, Ramiro developed a passion for music and singing, exhibiting his natural skills in school talent shows and within his community. When Ramiro was 10 years old, he began to play with the zampona, the quena and the charango, three instruments from the Andean region. Later in his caree