Musical Instruments

Thanks to archaeological discoveries of musical instruments, we now know that in Peru, music dates back at least 10,000 years.

This ancient tradition produced the quena flute, zampoña pan-pipe and pututo trumpet made from a sea conch, in addition to a host of wind instruments crafted from cane, mud, bone, animal horns and percussion instruments.

As a result of the New World's contact with the West, vast numbers of new instruments were incorporated into Peru's music, although many were creatively adapted to the rhythmic and melodic necessities of each region. A clear example of this can be seen in the many transformations that have changed the shape of the harp, the violin and the guitar in the Peruvian highlands.