Music of Chile - Folk Music

Folk Music

Chile has a very rich folk music tradition that is generally divided into three different continental geographical zones: northern, central, and southern, each with its own characteristics and sounds. The Mapuche people and the inhabitants of Easter Island have their own musical traditions. Central folk music is the best known.

Northern Chile was the center of culture in ancient Tahuantinsuyu (Inca empire), and was afterwards dominated by the Spanish. In the north of the country, traditional dances are strongly influenced by Quechua and Aymara culture, which covers parts of Peru, the Andean region of Bolivia and northern Chile. The dances are basic piece of popular piety and in activities linked to the ancient Inca religion and now have a semblance of paganism, as in the case of livestock enfleurage. Outside the cueca northerners, dance highlights include the trot and cachimbo.

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