Huayño

Huayno (Quechua: wayñu, Spanish: huaino, huayno, huayño) is a genre of popular Andean Music and dance originally from Andean countries. It is especially common in Peru and Bolivia, but also present in Chile, Argentina and Ecuador. The history of Huayño dates back to the colonial Peru as a combination of traditional rural folk music and popular urban dance music. High-pitched vocals are accompanied by a variety of instruments, including quena (flute), harp, siku (panpipe), accordion, saxophone, charango, lute, violin, guitar, and mandolin. Some elements of huayño originate in the music of the pre-Columbian Andes, especially on the territory of former Inca Empire. Huayno utilizes a distinctive rhythm in which the first beat is stressed and followed by two short beats.

Huayno is an important Andean genre of dance and music of pre-Hispanic origin and at present very widespread among the Andean peoples, especially Quechuas and Aymaras. Huayno adopts diverse forms, according to the local or regional traditions and in certain forms it represents the popular adherence to the culture of the land. Huayño is an excellent example of typical Andean dance.

Subgenres

• Sikuri (from siku "panflute"), a kind of huayño which is performed on panflutes, especially common in Altiplano region (Bolivia, Southern Peru). The siku players use an hocket-like interlocking technique to play the entire melody.
• Carnaval Ayacuchano, a holiday genre from Ayacucho Region, Peru.
• Hiyawa or hiyaway (Quechua: hiyawa(y), Spanish: jiyawa(y), jiyahua(y)) dry season ritual song and dance from north of Potosí Department, Bolivia.

Dance

The dance begins with the man offering his right arm to the women as an invitation for her to dance (there is even a special word for this action, Quechua: wayñukuy "to invite woman to dance a huayño"). Alternatively, he puts his handkerchief on the shoulder of the woman. Next, the partners walk along an enclosure, and finally they dance. The dance consists of an agile and vigorous stamping of the feet during which the man follows the woman, opposite to front, touching her with his shoulders after having turned around, and only occasionally he touches his right arm to the left hand of his partner while both swing to the rhythm of the music. His movements are happy and roguish.

Notable examples

• "El Cóndor Pasa" by Daniel Alomía Robles (second part, with high tempo, the first part is harawi)
• "Vírgenes del Sol" by Jorge Bravo de Rueda
• "Adiós pueblo de Ayacucho"
• "Flor de Retama"
• "Walicha"
• "Al compas de la Guitarra" by Jilguero del Huascaran
• "Bendita las madres" by Jilguero del Huascaran and Elena Saray
• "Pio Pio" by Amanda Portales

External links

• Music from the Andes and Nearby Regions