Culture of Bolivia

Bolivia is a country in South America located at thesicu (also "sicus") or zampona
Andes mountains. It has a significant Native Americanquena
population which mixed Spanish cultural elements withtarka or tharqa
their ancestors' traditions. The Spanish-speakingpinkillo
population mainly follows the Western customs.skin drums
Festivalsbronze gongs
Pagan rites from the pre-Columbian era are stillcopper bells
common during the religious festivals of the Indians.charango: Has five pairs of strings and looks like a
The clothing used during the festivals reminds thesmall guitar. Traditionally it was made from the shells of
visitor of the pre-Columbian Indians and the 16tharmadillos, but today it is mostly made of wood.
century Spaniards.The quena (quechua: qina, sometimes also written
Dances"kena" in English) is the traditional flute of the Andes.
Many dances and songs contain elements from bothUsually made of bamboo, it has 6 finger holes and one
the native and the Mediterranean culture; obviouslythumb hole and is open on both ends. To produce
they suffered a strong Spanish influence during colonialsound, the player closes the top end of the pipe with
times.the flesh between his chin and lower lip, and blows a
Clothingstream of air downward, along the axis of the pipe,
It is fashionable among Bolivian Andean women ofover an elliptical notch cut into the end.
indigenous descent wear a skirt called a pollera. It wasThe Quenacho (also "kenacho" in English) is a larger,
originally a Spanish peasant skirt that the coloniallower-toned version of the quena and made the same
authorities forced the indigenous women to wear. Nowway.
it is also a symbol of pride in being indigenous and isOther flutes
also considered a status symbol.Other Andean flutes include :
Another fashion is the bowler hat, which was adoptedThe pinquillo, which is similar in look and operation to a
from the British. The position of the hat can indicate arecorder;
woman's marital status and aspirations.The tarka (or tharqa), which also operates like a
Musicrecorder but is comparatively shorter and quite angular
Music in the Andean regions is played during thein shape, requires greater breath, and has a darker,
festivals and the dances. Some tunes contain strongmore penetrating sound;
Spanish influences.The moseno, a dual-tube bamboo flute that has a
The most common musical instruments are:deep sound.