Festival of the Arts: Ensemble Iberica

This Andean quartet is comprised of Amado Espinoza (Andean flutes, charango), Pedro Calderon (quena, guitar), Robert Castillo (bass, drums), and Brendan Culp (percussion). Using traditional Andean instruments like palo de lluvia (a rain stick) and bombo leguero (an Argentinian drum), it will showcase the musical traditions of the Andes mountains, which stretches from Northern Chile and Argentina to Southern Colombia, including the countries of Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru.  

A few songs will represent Venezuela and Paraguay. A few songs have origins in indigenous rituals for the Pachamama, or Mother Earth, while others are more modern compositions about nature, love, and death. Music will highlight the cultures that live in the region’s diverse landscapes – from the high plain to the humid jungles to the sandy coasts.