When thinking of indigenous music, many people may imagine acoustic
instruments and pastoral settings far removed from the whirl of modern
life. But, in contemporary Peru, indigenous chimaycha music has become
a wildly popular genre that is even heard in the nightclubs of Lima. In
Making Music Indigenous, Joshua Tucker traces the history of this
music and its key performers over fifty years to show that there is no
single way to "sound indigenous." The musicians Tucker follows make
indigenous culture and identity visible in contemporary society by
establishing a cultural and political presence for Peru's indigenous
peoples through activism, artisanship, and performance. This musical
representation of indigeneity not only helps shape contemporary culture,
it also provides a lens through which to reflect on the country's past.
Tucker argues that by following the musicians that have championed
chimaycha music in its many forms, we can trace shifting meanings of
indigeneity--and indeed, uncover the ways it is constructed,
transformed, and ultimately recreated through music.