Erke
Encyclopedia
The erke is a large lip concussion horn native to the Gran Chaco
of Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.
The erke has no reed in its mouthpiece, with the tongue of the player fulfilling this role as it is inserted into the side-hole of the tube.
peoples of the Andes the erke is used solely for ritual purposes.
Traditionally, only adult men play the erke, and it is considered profane to play the erke outside of a ritual context. The erke is commonly played during winter, as it is believed that playing it in spring or summer can bring snow.
people, there exists a similar instrument called the trutruca. The Australian didgeridoo
operates on similar principles.
Gran Chaco
The Gran Chaco is a sparsely populated, hot and semi-arid lowland region of the Río de la Plata basin, divided among eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina and a portion of the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, where it is connected with the Pantanal region...
of Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.
Construction
The erke is composed of two or more lengths of cane joined at the ends to form a single tube. The internal nodes of the canes are removed and the exterior is often wrapped with gut or wool. The end often has an amplifier made of cow horn or brass. The instrument is blown through at the other end, and may be three to seven metres in length.The erke has no reed in its mouthpiece, with the tongue of the player fulfilling this role as it is inserted into the side-hole of the tube.
History
Although in the latter half of the 20th century Andean folkloric musical groups have used the erke for secular music, among the indigenous and criolloCriollo people
The Criollo class ranked below that of the Iberian Peninsulares, the high-born permanent residence colonists born in Spain. But Criollos were higher status/rank than all other castes—people of mixed descent, Amerindians, and enslaved Africans...
peoples of the Andes the erke is used solely for ritual purposes.
Traditionally, only adult men play the erke, and it is considered profane to play the erke outside of a ritual context. The erke is commonly played during winter, as it is believed that playing it in spring or summer can bring snow.
Similar instruments
Among the MapucheMapuche
The Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. They constitute a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage. Their influence extended...
people, there exists a similar instrument called the trutruca. The Australian didgeridoo
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
operates on similar principles.