Hatun Kotama - '¡Así Kotama! The Flutes of Otavalo, Ecuador' [Behind The Scenes Documentary]
Hatun Kotama of Otavalo plays the flute-based music indigenous to their mountainous region of Ecuador. Members teach in a flute school that is part of the Kotama village, and they help preserve their Kichwa language through song and dance at community festivals, such as Inti Raymi (Sun Festival).
Smithsonian Folkways traveled to Kotama to record the group for the album ¡Así Kotama! The Flutes of Otavalo, Ecuador. The group's residency at the 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, from July 3-7 in Washington D.C., was their first-ever performances outside of Ecuador and was part of the "One World, Many Voices" Festival program focused on endangered languages and cultural heritage.
¡Así Kotama! The Flutes of Otavalo, Ecuador features an Andean indigenous flute tradition unlike any other. It is the soundtrack of a success story that defies globalization, steers tradition in a new direction, and revitalizes a musical practice that was once considered obsolete. The joyful, multigenerational Kichwa flutists of Kotama village in the historic municipality of Otavalo play, chant, and dance their way into a future that upholds their deepest values and customs.
¡Así Kotama! The Flutes of Otavalo, Ecuador presenta una tradición de flauta indígena andina como ninguna otra. Es una historia musical exitosa que desafía la globalización, guía la tradición por nuevos caminos, y revitaliza una práctica musical que ha sido considerada obsoleta. Los flauteros Kichwas multigeneracionales y jubilosos del pueblo Kotama, ubicado en el cantón de Otavalo, tocan, cantan, y bailan hacia un futuro que mantiene sus valores y costumbres más preciosos.