About the Band

Sonqo means heart in the Quechua, the language of the Incas, which is still spoken in several countries in South America.  Sonqo consists of a group of musicians from different background who are united to preserve the traditions, culture, and music from our ancestors the Inca Empire and previous civilizations.  The group was founded in 2004.  Co-founder, Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou, has recorded and catalogued Indigenous music throughout the Altiplano and currently works in Quechua language preservation.  Musician/composer, Jorge Gomez researches and performs on various traditional instruments of South America. 

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SONQO plays authentic Andean music with a variety of traditional instruments that originated during the Pre-Columbian times in combination with the stringed instruments brought by the Spanish conquistadors.  These include traditional zampoñas, quenas, quenachos, antaras, zencas, rondador, ocarinas, moxeños, charango, mandolin, guitar, bombo, wankara, Peruvian cajon, claves, rainsticks, and chajchas. 

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SONQO has performed widely in performance venues, festivals, special events as well as museums, multi-cultural events, and educational settings.  SONQO's educational programs and workshops are lively and colorful blend of musical performance, demonstrations of traditional Latin American instruments and interactive segments with students. These entertaining and educational presentations are a wonderful way to introduce the audience to the diverse cultures, languages and rich cultural heritage of several South American regions. 

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