The siku (zampoña) is a traditional Andean panpipe, widespread among the Aymara and Quechua peoples of Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. It consists of several cane tubes of different lengths, closed at the bottom and bound into two rows; the sound is produced by blowing across their open upper ends.
The most remarkable feature of the siku is its traditional way of playing “in dialogue”: the notes of the scale are divided between two separate instruments, so two musicians must play together, taking turns to add their notes so that a full melody is formed. This embodies the principle of complementarity and community so important to Andean culture. Together with the quena, the siku creates that inimitable, pure, and slightly “airy” sound which, all over the world, is associated with the music of the high Andes.
