Bolivian Panpipes

Bolivian Panpipes – 15 Pipes Made in Bolivia Sourced in La Paz direct from the maker

Panpipes are known as siku in the native tongue.

Made from Bamboo.

Bolivian Panpipes Dimensions

35cm long x 13cm wide

Comes with a fingering guide.

They are not professional quality – they are for beginners/ practice/ fun.

May differ slightly from that pictured due to hand made nature

This is not a toy – not suitable for children

We sell a whole range of wind instruments and hundreds of musical instruments

Background

Siku (Quechua: antara, Aymara: siku, also “sicu,” “sicus,” “zampolla” or Spanish zampoña) is a traditional Andean panpipe.

This instrument is the main instrument used in a musical genre known as sikuri.

It is traditionally found all across the Andes but is more typically associated with music from the Kollasuyo, or Aymara speaking regions around Lake Titicaca.

Historically because of the complicated mountain geography of the region, and due to other factors, in some regions each community would develop its own type of siku, with its own special tuning, shape and size. Additionally each community developed its own style of playing.

Today the siku has been standardised to fit in with modern western forms of music and has been transported from its traditional roots.

History of the siku

The siku (panpipe) is originally from the Aymaras of Perú and Bolivia, where a woman would play her siku as she came down from the mountains. Since the largest siku has every note (A-G), and was too big for the woman, they often got two sikus (usually smaller ones) that would be played together with someone else, so they could play them continuously after each other and thus the scales could fully be played. Once the women partnered, they then became musically bonded with each other, as part of their religion, and neither could play the pipes with any other for the rest of their life.

Women would also assemble into groups as they came down the mountains, each group would play different tunes, and as they got together, they would blend all the melodies together to create one complete melody. The woman also played the siku to attract wild goat that they would then harvest.

Bolivian Panpipes Links

More info on the Siku

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