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
career, he started playing the guitar and became very involved with Latin
American music.
According to Ramiro, in
Bolivia, which is a country
obsessed with music, it is customary and expected that everyone knows how to play at least
one instrument. However he has a special
talent and can play multiple instrument at the same time. In the video, we can
see him playing 3 instruments, with musical
elements that range from classic and pop, to new age, along with the Andean
style.
Ramiro pursues music as a
full time passion and says music is always in his head and that if he wants to express himself he does that
through music. He has an active lifestyle and enjoys various sports including
swimming, soccer and trekking. The reason
for his public performances is not only to fuse Andean music with the new music
tendencies of the world, but also to maintain the essence of Latin American folklore
from the Andes. After doing some research I found the following information
about the instruments being played by Ramiro in the video.
Tiple : A 12-string rhythmic and harmonic instrument usually played with
rasgueo, a technique that involves strikes and damps on the strings. Its twelve
metal strings allow for greater resonance, and it is tuned almost like a
guitar.
Sikuri : A traditional Andean panpipe. This instrument is the main
instrument used in a musical genre known as sikuri.
As well as playing
traditional folk songs, Ramiro also writes his own music. Music in the video is
composed by him and dedicated to the women and children of Bolivia.
I spotted this artist at Metro Snowdon where he
really caught my attention.
What do you think of Ramiro and his
exquisite Andrean sound? Engage with us and leave your comments below. Also, if
you know any other artists that play in the metro regularly and want us to
profile them on this blog, drop us a comment!!
Goodbye until our next post and keep
supporting local musicians!
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