Monsieur Periné is a Bogotá-based musical ensemble from Colombia with an Afro-Colombian sound that mixes Latin and European flavors. Lead singer Catalina García sings in a mixture of Spanish, French, English, and Portuguese. Other members include Santiago Prieto, who plays the charango, violin, and guitar; Eva Peroni on the bass; Jairo Alfonso on the winds ; Abstin Caviedes on the trombone and bugle; Miguel Guerra on percussion; and Darwin Paez on the drumset. Their style mixes elements of cumbia, tango, danzón, bolero and pop music, according to the San Diego Union Tribune. At the Latin Grammy Awards, the ensemble was named best new artist of 2015. Their debut album in 2012 won Colombia's national gold album award. The group was formed in 2008.
Performing in Koblenz, Germany
Vocalist Catalina Garcia
Catalina Garcia performing at the World music festival Horizonte in Koblenz (2013)
The charango is a small Andean stringed instrument of the lute family, from the Quechua and Aymara populations in the territory of the Altiplano in post-Colonial times, after European stringed instruments were introduced by the Spanish during colonialization. The instrument is widespread throughout the Andean regions of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, northern Chile and northwestern Argentina, where it is a popular musical instrument that exists in many variant forms.
A modern charango
A sign in Potosi, Bolivia, in the style of a charango with the words 'Cuna del Charango' (Birthplace of the Charango).
A traditional charango made of armadillo, today superseded by wooden charangos, in Museu de la Música de Barcelona
Charango in the Horniman museum, London, UK.