What was Inca music like?
Here in the Andes, countless cultures developed over thousands of years until the Incas, who ceased to rule the region after the invasion of the Spanish conquistadors. Five hundred years later, we still have their music, yes, the sounds that the Incas produced for their daily lives or for their rituals; we will never know for sure exactly what they used music for. As human beings themselves, we now conclude that they used music in the same way we use it today, to accompany daily life and for religious or social rituals.
The music of the Incas, as described by chroniclers, consisted of sounds produced by wind and percussion instruments; they did not know the acoustics of shapes as in guitars or the pressure of strings as in pianos. Nor is there any record of them organizing concerts or performances with large numbers of people; it was definitely another world. Music was always important to the Inca sages and their ancestors; as proof, they left behind many instruments made of ceramic, bone, or wood. To bring you closer to the music of the Incas, we have prepared a detailed itinerary in the center of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We will take you to a museum outside the city of Cusco, where expert restorers and musicians have reconstructed the instruments of the Incas and earlier civilizations. In this museum, you can see how quenas and zampoñas were made, hear each sound they produce, and, of course, learn how to play them; they are very easy to learn. At this point, the Incas did not have much complexity in producing sounds. Life in the Andes is peaceful, and as such, their music was also peaceful.
In addition to enjoying Andean music, we will take you to see the process of making Andean textiles using completely natural dyes, as it could not be otherwise, such as cochineal, molle, k'olle, and ch'illca. Then we will visit the cave paintings of Carañahui, all in a single day. Don't worry, you won't have to rush or walk a lot, that's what we're here for. We have organized the tour so that you can enjoy it comfortably, without any pressure and in private transportation.
Remember that Inca music is nothing like today's music or even classical music, much less medieval music. This place was completely separate from Europe and its customs, its way of seeing the world, and its business practices. Here, the Incas built differently, lived differently, observed the universe differently, and their music was definitely different. Knowing all this, come and see how we have reconstructed part of the cultural legacy of the Incas.