Muisca music describes the use of

music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

by the

Muisca The Muisca (also called the Chibcha) are indigenous peoples in Colombia and were a Pre-Columbian culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish colonization of the Americas. The Muisca spe ...

. The Muisca were organized in the

Muisca Confederation The Muisca Confederation was a loose confederation of different Muisca rulers (''zaques'', ''zipas'', ''iraca'', and ''tundama'') in the central Andes, Andean highlands of what is today Colombia before the Spanish conquest of the Americas, Spanis ...

before the

Spanish conquest of the Muisca The Spanish conquest of the Muisca took place from 1537 to 1540. The Muisca people, Muisca were the inhabitants of the central Andes, Andean highlands of Colombia before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. They were organised in a loose M ...

of the central highlands (Altiplano Cundiboyacense) of present-day Colombia. The Muisca used music in their religious rituals, to welcome the new ''cacique'' and during harvest, sowing and the construction of the houses.

Muisca music

The music of the Muisca was produced in a magic-religious sense; music was played during Muisca religion, religious rituals where the Muisca people gathers to worship the Sun (Sué), the Moon (Chía (goddess), Chía) and other Muisca religion#Deities, deities. The music served as hope for the guecha warriors and to relieve the pain of the dead.Ocampo López, 2007, Ch.V, p.230 According to the Spanish chroniclers, the music of the Muisca was sad and monotonous. The people could play music during events that took a full Muisca calendar#Months and weeks, month to please their gods where they sang about the wars fought and begged the gods for victory in future wars. Everytime a war was fought, the Muisca danced and sang. Also during sowing and harvests in their Muisca agriculture, agriculture, the people sang and danced continuously. While singing they removed the loose rocks of the farming fields. The Muisca religion#Sacrifice, sacrifices, sometimes human sacrifice, human in character, were accompanied by music, dances and singing. Also when new ''caciques'' were installed as Muisca rulers, rulers of their territories music and dances were performed.Ocampo López, 2007, Ch.V, p.231 When the Muisca were constructing their houses (''bohíos''), they sang and danced and moved the wood for their houses according to the rhythm of the music. They dressed up with golden diadems and drank a lot of chicha. During these rituals they were accompanied by their god of construction and drunkenness, Nencatacoa.Escobar, 1987

Instruments

For their music the Muisca used mainly flutes, drums and ''fotutos''; musical instruments made of shells or snails. They also used ocarinas. The Muisca also used Siku (instrument), zampoñas and rattling cups with a pebble insideDuica, 2012, p.4 for their musical compositions.

Dance

The dances for the harvest and sowing periods of the Muisca calendar were performed with feathers and costumes representing spectacled bear, bears, jaguars and other animals. The dances performed when they were constructing their houses were mixed-gender; women and men danced holding hands.

References

Bibliography

* * * {{Muisca navbox, Topics, state=expanded Muisca art, Music Ancient music, Muisca Indigenous music of South America

Muisca music

Instruments

Dance

See also

References

Bibliography