Whilst the main ceremony of Inti Raymi (the Inca Festival of the Sun) traditionally takes place on the esplanade of the Sacsayhuamán fortress, the dances and musical accompaniment are often moved to Cusco Stadium to accommodate the crowds, as seen in this photograph, taken on 24 June 1976. The musicians play the traditional Peruvian Andean harp (Arpa andina) and violins to accompany the traditional dances (Danzas) from the various provinces, which are performed in honour of the sun. – Cusco – Peru – 1976

Musicians from the province of Paruro at the famous Inti Raymi festival (the Inca Festival of the Sun) in Cusco. They play a type of transverse flute, the flauta andina (Andean transverse flute), which is often referred to regionally as a pifano or pífano andino. It is traditionally made entirely from local bamboo (caña) or Andean wood. Such rustic bamboo flutes are typical of rural music groups (Bandas de Músicos Tradicionales) in the highlands of Cusco. They accompany festive dances and ceremonial processions at indigenous celebrations. – Peru – 1969

An indigenous man in the Altiplano of Peru plays the zampoña with a dreamy expression; its sounds (perhaps a ‘Yaraví’ or a ‘Triste’?) seem to capture all the melancholy of the vast expanse and solitude. - Book: Picture 6 - Peru - 1976

A charango player in the department of Cuzco, Peru. Stringed instruments appear to have been unknown to pre-Columbian civilisations. The original charango is a small guitar whose soundbox is made from an armadillo shell. Its rather high-pitched sound is produced by five or six pairs of strings. - Book: Picture 143 - Peru - 1976

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