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Mestizo Manta Creates Heat on a Cool Day

by Georgia Kral | Jun 14, 2007 11:24 am

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Posted to: Arts

charango.JPGIt was cold outside, but only until the band started to play. Then some people got up off their blankets to dance while others swayed in their seats. They were stirred by Mestizo Manta, a Peruvian ensemble that specializes in “music of the Andes.”

The quintet mixed guitar, mandolin, charango (a small guitar with ten strings), vocals, fiddle, quena (flute) and bombo (drums) in a performance on the Green Wednesday night as part of the International Festival of Arts and Ideas. 

The music was fluid and romantic. Each song sounded like a celebration, as reflected in the facial expressions in the audience. Smiles abounded, as kids were danced with each other.

Click on the play button to hear a sample. In this song the steady beat of the drum encourages the singer to sing. He hears the pummeling sound and begins to sing along, and starts to dance.

The first song of the night prominently featured the quena, which looks a bit like a recorder. It’s held like a clarinet and not like a standard flute. The man playing it masterfully switched between octaves; what sounded somber and dark would suddenly sound light and joyous.

The experience was also inclusive. At more than one point the group encouraged the audience to clap.

Click the play button to hear another song and see a certain audience member enjoying the music.

The music of Mestizo Manta conjures feelings of being in the sun in South America or Mexico. The group’s image also plays into the vision: each musician wears all black and a vest with woven colorful patterns. Even though it was cold, rainy and wet in New Haven, the music transported listeners to drier, warmer climes.

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