Putumayo celebrates its 20th anniversary with Music of the Andes, a collection of enchanting music celebrating the company’s Latin American roots. Traditional Andean music offers modern listeners an aural connection to the pre-Columbian era when this vast mountainous region was populated exclusively by indigenous cultures. In the 1960s, the sounds of the Andes were embraced by Latin American intellectuals involved in social and political movements. After the global success of Simon & Garfunkel’s hit “El Condor Pasa” in 1970, large numbers of Andean musicians facing political and economic challenges emigrated and found appreciative audiences performing on North American and European city streets.

Contemporary Andean music today owes its complexity and richness to the vast array of instruments, rhythms and genres that have evolved there over the centuries. 1% of Putumayo’s sales will be contributed to Whole Planet Foundation in support of their microcredit initiatives in Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and around the world.

Review:

Putumayo Records, a label known for putting together accessibly curated world music samplers, delivers the compilation Music of the Andes. Pulling from a variety of sources, this collection focuses largely on the modern 21st century folk music of Peru, Bolivia, and the surrounding Andean mountain region. Featuring a mix of vocals and folk instruments like the ten-stringed charango and the pan flute, acts like Rumillajta and Dueto Nocturnal take a classic approach to the region's tradi­tional music. Other artists like Alejo Garcia and Fauna & Pascuala Ilabaca incorporate modern influences like electric guitars and drums into classic folk styles. The diverse compilation paints an eclectic picture of Andean music's past and present.
All Music Guide – Timothy Monger