Folk Music from Peru

This quartet is made up of four members of the Castillo family, three brothers and a sister. They play all the requisite instruments for an Andean folk band: the zamponas or panpipes, the kena (sometimes spelled quena) or flute, the ronroco or miniature guitar, the charango or tortoise-shell mandolin, and more. All four members sing.
The album is buffed and produced to a high gloss. It's not clear how something can be folk music with no rough edges at all. And in at least one song, "Tarmenita," it sounds very much as if a little faux-North American Indian chant is thrown in for atmosphere. And yet, in another song, "Espiritu Inka," the melody is split between two panpipes in a traditional and difficult move. Other tracks come dangerously close to spaghetti western or new age music. Still, the songs are lively and pleasant and if the listener doesn't care about authenticity, they should make for a warm experience. ~ Kurt Keefner|