The Whole Music Experience

Florilegium and Arakaendar Bolivia Choir Bolivian Baroque, Vol. 3 Music from the Missions and La Plata Channel Classics (distributed by Harmonia Mundi) When I think of Bolivian music, Andes folkloric traditions surface with panpipes, traditional flutes, charango (a lute made from an armadillo) and bombo drum. I had never connected European baroque music with the South American country, but of course it makes sense that the Spanish colonists and missionaries would have brought baroque music with them. For those of you not familiar with Bolivia, the landlocked South American country is bordered by Peru and Chile on the west, Brazil on the northeast, Paraguay and Argentina in the south. The Andes country’s population is comprised of Afro-Bolivians, Spanish descent, and Creole. However, the majority of Bolivians are Indians of pure Aymara and Quechua backgrounds. So this brings us to the English baroque ensemble Florilegium and the Arakaendar Bolivian Choir (comprised of si...