Music and Dances

Peruvian music is a synthesis of sounds and styles influenced by Peru's Andean musical roots as well as Spanish musical influences. The national instrument, the charango, dominates native Peruvian music. The charango is a type of mandolin that was created in Bolivia by musicians who wanted to imitate Spanish lutes and guitars.

The charango is used in courtship rituals in the Canas and Titicaca regions to entice the woman to the male performers. It is commonly used to accompany folk music from the high Andes. It is an important instrument in Andean Huayno. The harps are based on Baroque harps brought from Spain during the colonial period.

The Kashua and the Huayno are two of the most well-known Andean dances. The Kashua is a communal dance that is typically performed in groups in the country or in open spaces. The Huayno is known as a "salon ball." It is performed in pairs and in small groups. It combines traditional music from the area's rural folk with popular urban dance music.

Flute, harp, panpipe, accordion, saxophone, charango, lute, violin, guitar, harmonica, and mandolin are among the instruments that accompany the high-pitched vocals. Marinera is a Peruvian coastal dance known as the "National Dance of Peru." It is a graceful and romantic couple's dance in which handkerchiefs are used as props.