What is a charango? No, it's not Mexican fast food. A small rodent found in the Arizona desert? Wrong again. A charango is a little-known South American stringed instrument. But if you still think that the word "charango" sounds like a little animal, you might not be surprised to learn that the back of this instrument was traditionally made from the shell of an armadillo.
Basics
The charango, known as the South American lute, looks like a ukulele or small guitar. It has ten strings set in pairs, tuned to G, C, E, A and E. The strings can either be plucked or strummed. The charango can produce a "harp-like" sound when picked, or a strong rhythmic sound when strummed. Because of the "narrow tonal range" of the tuning, the small charango produces a big sound.
History
The charango originated in South America, probably in the Bolivian and Andean area. When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in South America, they brought an instrument called the vihuela, which was an ancestor of the guitar. The natives did not have the technology to shape the wood to make vihuelas, but they did have armadillos, and the natives used the shells to form the backs of the new instrument. Today, the backs of most charangos are made from a single piece of wood.
Popular Music
The charango has been featured on modern recordings by Gipsy Kings, Bruce Cockburn and Morcheeba. It has also been used by film composer Gustavo Santoalla, Jewish Latin musician Yehuda Glantz, and world music group Dromedary.
Film
In 2005, director Jim Virga made a film called "El Charango," a documentary about the relationship between the instrument and the area of Cerro Rico. This area is possibly the birthplace of the charango.
Alternative and Variant Names
The charango has been known by other names, including mulita, tatu and kirkinchu. There are also variants of the instrument, such as the walaycho, charangon, ronroco and chillador. These variants utilize different tunings and different kinds of strings. They also vary slightly in size.
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