Easter in Argentina: Music & Tradition

In South America Easter Week; Semana Santa is one of the most anticipated holidays.  As Argentina is predominately a Catholic country there are many regional and local celebrations all over the country during Semana Santa.

In Argentina pascua is celebrated as the resurrection of Christ with carnivals, music and dancing aswell as traditional food.  Music with the Charango is played.  The charango “guitarra criolla” is a small Andean stringed instrument, which originated in the Quechua and Aymara populations in post-Columbian times. The instrument is widespread today throughout the Andean regions of Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, northern Chile and northwestern Argentina.  The tuning of the Charango is very similar to a ukulele, you can use the familiar ukulele chords to play it. The scary part about the charango however is that it is traditionally made from the shell of an armadillo!