Sunday 23 November 2008

Conjunto Orquestal Puno - Peruvian sounds from the 1950s


I picked up this strange Peruvian album in a charity shop in Brighton a couple of weeks ago. I can't find anything on the internet about the orchestra, but some of the songs on the album are Huaynos which are :
the result of the meeting of traditional mountain music with its high-pitched vocals, insistent beat, and breathy flutes - and more commercial, urban sounds, including those of Colonial music from Spain. Like contemporary North American musical hybrids, moreover, the kinds and combinations of instruments are often surprising: harps and harmonicas, mandolins and saxophones, panpipes and accordions, as well as guitars, violins and charangas.
Mark Greenberg — Sing Out!
http://www.arhoolie.com/titles/320.shtml

To my ears, this is some strange stuff with its weird blend of Andean and western instruments and its melancholy sound.
Tracklisting:

1. ZAMPOÑA DE ORO: Sicuri
2. KQENCHA MOZA: Huayno
3. JOYITA PUNEÑA: Huayno - Pandillero
4. LA PARADITA: Marinera Puneña
5. FANTASIA PANDILLERA: Huayno
6. CARNAVAL DE ICHO: Danza Costumbrista
7. LINDA SERRANITA: Huayno Pandillero
8. LLAMERADA: Danza
9. IMILLlTA: Huayno
10 LA TRADICIONAL: Marinera Puneña
Director: Cástor Vera Solano

Get the zip over here.

5 comments:

Djalma said...

Thanks for the link up bro, I always wanted to tell you that I've linked you up and that this is one helluva blog, but never did until now...
But hey, better late than never, right?
Peace...

Irazema said...

You found my grandfather's Orchestra. He was the founder and he died almost 35 years ago. He's name is Cástor Vera Solano.

You were right. There's some melancholy in many songs, because that's a music feature from Puno and the peruvian andean south in general.

There are huaynos, but there's no panpipes, harm or harmonicas.

I don't know how the record got there, but thanks anyway for sharing. I have mine with me, and there's a second part. Is pure gold.

Mr Tear said...

Irazema, thanks so much for the comment. Your grandfather was a great bandleader, and its this kind of communication that makes keeping this blog worth the time.

Cat Mousy said...

Great Blog, keep posting Peruvian music! I like it that your grandfather was the bandleader!

Ira the man said...
This comment has been removed by the author.