Panpipes and Ponchos: Musical Folklorization and the Rise of the Andean Conjunto Tradition in La Paz, Bolivia By Fernando Rios. New York: Oxford University Press, 2020.

Abstract

Rios ’ s book documents the development and rise of Andean conjuntos in Bolivia from the 1920s to the 1970s. Many scholars refer to these groups as pan-Andean ensembles to recognize how this way of making music has become dominant in the region. Rios, however, focuses on the development of these groups in La Paz, Bolivia, which is particularly valuable because the country is a primary site of Indigeneity in the Andean imaginary. Rios carefully details how Bolivian national ideologies and governmental policies contributed to the formation of these groups. He also explains the inclusion of different Bolivian regional music genres in these ensembles ’ repertoires as well as the role of the international recording industry in shaping their sound. Rios has already become well-known as a key historian in this area, and although he integrates material from his previous articles into the book, this monograph complements that earlier work by including a greater variety of artists, recordings, and events over a broader period of time.