Tonada potosina

The tonada potosina is the traditional song form of Bolivia's Potosí department, above all the Quechua-speaking north (Norte Potosí) and the Charcas and Betanzos valleys. Sung to charango, guitar and sometimes violin, its melodies move in flexible ternary motion over guitar rasgueado, with texts in Quechua or regional Spanish that praise places, lovers and saints or narrate local events. Bound to the tinku ritual combat, carnival and patronal feasts, it is the intimate, sung counterpart to the region's louder brass-band and huayño repertories, and a marker of potosino identity.