By Noah Lopez
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The Tucson Friends of Traditional Music bring the native sounds of Bolivia to Tucson this weekend, when the internationally-acclaimed Andean folk ensemble Rumillajta performs at the Temple of Music and Art.
Rumillajta (pronounced 'roomy-yakta') has been wowing stateside audiences since 1980 with their lineup of multi-instrument virtuosos. The five group members play over 20 traditional instruments, many hand-crafted by themselves.
Using three types of pan flutesŸthe double rowed siku, the single row set of 25 pipes called the antara, and the set of single-row pipes set in alternating lengths called the rondadoreŸvarious types of cane flutes, guitars and percussion, the group is able to create hauntingly beautiful and powerfully evocative soundbeds. The instrumentals are then intertwined with the group's vocals, sung in the three common languages of Bolivia, Quechua (the language of the Incas), Aymara (pre-Inca) and Spanish.
The group was formed in 1980 in La Paz, Bolivia, and has since toured worldwide as part of an effort to preserve their cultural and musical heritage. The group has toured North America six times, and has recorded 12 albums of material.
Rumillajta performs tomorrow night at 8 p.m. at the Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. Tickets are $18, $16 and $14, with a two dollar discount for TFTM members, KXCI members and students.
Tickets are available at Hear's Music, Antigone Books and Loco Records. For more information, call 881-3947.