Bolivian Music

Bolivian music varies greatly between regions. That's because Bolivia is such a multi-ethnic country. Bolivia has over 30 different ethnic groups and cultures and each has their own style of music. In addition, may styles have been adopted from other countries by Bolivian musicians.

In Bolivia you can hear traditional Andean music which uses many different types of pan pipes (called zampoñas) and flutes, guitars, the charango (a tiny 12-string guitar made from an armadillo shell), drums, and more. It ranges from melancholy to very high-spirited. Andean music usually focuses on telling a story, traditionally the legends of the Aymara, Quechua, and Tiahuanacota people, and each music style is also accompanied by a particular dance style (each dance tells a story too). It is most evident in our Carnaval, which takes place in Oruro each year in February or March.

In Western (Andean Bolivia) you can hear or see traditional music and dances such as the caporal, tinku, cueca, cumbia or the very lively saya - the dance style Kaoma of Brazil stole and made famous as the "lambada". (She was then sued and got into a lot of trouble).

In Eastern Bolivia music is completely different. Here music is usually dance-able and very festive. You can hear styles like the chacarera and taquirari. The names of many music styles are in Guaraní and traditional dances are also typical of the tropical Amazonian tribes such as the Guaraní, Ayoreos, and others.

Throughout all Bolivia you can hear the tango, operas, and foreign rock music (usually top 40s). Typically European music makes it to Bolivia and catches on a little faster than American music.

Bolivia also has many rock groups. Some have even become quite well-known worldwide. However, the groups that have been most successful at marketing themselves throughout the world are Andean music groups that cater to tourists such as Savia Andina, the Kjarkas and Kalamarka and this has given much of the world the impression that all of Bolivia is Andean.

To hear a great variety of Bolivian music, WATCH BELLA'S TV HERE. It contains hours and hours of videos of Bolivia (some are documentaries about Bolivia or tourist attractions in Bolivia) but there are also many hours of Bolivian music and dances to watch. You'll be able to see all the dance styles in Bolivia but you'll also see all the traditional costumes and clothing worn for each occasion (even each type of costume worn tells a story in Bolivian music). I had to move it off of this page because it takes a little while to load for those who have a slow connection but it's REALLY worth having a little patience and watching it.

Alternatively you can listen to some free previews of music from Bolivia here online - just click on a title. If you are visiting this page from the BOLIVIA FOR KIDS and need Bolivia music for your class project, this is a great resource - you can download MP3s right here (they're all under $1 each) or the full albums cost about $7-$10) but all of these are in MP3 format.

100 MP3s (30 Full Albums) of Bolivian Music

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