Enjoy this video of Kana Wawakuna, the most widely known children’s choir from the Cuzco region. The area shown in the video is in the Province of Espinar. On our trip we will visit Cuzco and pass through the the area of Espinar on our way to Puno.

These children, directed by Amilcar Soto Merma, have produced several high quality music videos combining studio work with well choreographed outdoor singing. They are pretty amazing.

In this Christmas song they are singing in Quechua, an amazing language that is one of the official languages of Peru. It is entirely unrelated to any European language. The only words in the song that show any influence from Spanish are “niño Jesucristo” (Christ child).

Here are the lyrics in Quechua. You won’t understand them, of course, but you may be able to follow along and observe some of the unique features of the language!

Hakuchu risunchis
niñuchata qhawasunchis
saminchasun yupaychasun
llapa sunqunchiswan

Añañau añañau
ñan chayamushanña
añañau añañau
niño Jesucristo
saminchasun yupaychasun
llapa sunqunchiswan

Huñulla llapanchis
niñuchapaq takisunchis
saminchasun yapaychasun
llapa sunqunchiswan

There are important differences between the dialects of Quechua (shown in the map below), but they are not so great as to prevent at least a basic level of comprehension between members of one group and another.