Fair Trade – Buying Instruments in Peru
Chromatic, Curved Zampona
I’m in cusco, and I found your website while searching for how to shop ethically while in Peru. I am particularly interested in musical instruments. Do you have any reccomendations or contacts you could share with me?
Thanks,
Ben E.
Dear Ben,
I will put you in touch with Guillermo Seminario, the musical director of Chimu Inka in Cusco.
There are a two things to consider when purchasing instruments in Peru, 1. Buying locally, and 2. quality:
First, regarding Fair Trade, the only thing to watch out for are guitars that may be manufactured in China, otherwise all other guitars, and all zampoñas and flutes will be either be made locally in the town or village, or on the coast such as Lima or Trujillo and shipped up to the mountain Gringo Trail towns in Peru.
Quena by Guillermo Seminario
Regarding quality, there are tourist grade instruments and professional grade which are calibrated at 440 hz (concert pitch) by the maker. And even with pro grade, it can be difficult to know you’re really getting concert pitch instruments unless you happen to carry an electronic tuner with you.
Guillermo Seminario, USA/Peru Music Exchange and Cusco Music Exchange Program Director for Mountain Spirit Institute, makes all his own flutes and zampoñas, and a cousin of his is in the charango manufacturing business on the coast.
I showed him a cheap version of a chromatic double row zampoña which I purchased in Bolivia, and he made a professional grade one, improving on the one I showed him. It’s top-notch and a real work horse, sound great, has a good tone and is made with spirit. It’s featured on our website’s fair trade page. (more…)
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