Six Degrees Records is proud to announce the second single from Punku, a new project created by Sylvia Falcón and Grimaldo del Solar (Novalima) that mixes Andean traditional music with ancestral instruments and modern genres including electronic music and rock. “Tutamanta” is the follow-up release to their debut single “Ancestral,” and further teases their upcoming album dropping in June. The single is out on May 10th and will later be followed by a remix from Bay Area duo Bang Data.

Sylvia explains the inspiration for the song, “‘Tutamanta’ means dawn or darkness in Quechua. The lyrics are a musical interpretation of a Quechua poem called ‘Pachapa Warmi Churin’ (Daughter of Time) by Nora Alarcón; an organic farmer, journalist, composer and dedicated to the defense of Andean intangible cultural heritage. The lyrics evokes the story of a woman that finds inspiration in nature (dawn/darkness) to create (in this case writing) and help her find inner peace.”

“Tutamanta” is different from anything either artist has created. The single isn’t exclusively what Sylvia or Grimaldo would create by themselves, but a blend of both of their styles and a reflection of their influences. They explain, “The main idea of the song was created at Grimaldo´s home studio in Lima and then finalized during recording sessions at Kanaku Estudio; which belongs to the critically acclaimed band Kanaku y El Tigre. Their studio has a certain vibe being located 100 feet from Huaca Pucllana, a pre Inka temple in the center of the commercial district Miraflores in Lima. In addition, their studio has a vast array of analog equipment from preamps to channels to compressors that create a unique sound.” The result on “Tutamanta” is a mesmerizing track that pulses with deep tones, hypnotic qualities, and Sylvia’s striking voice.

Sylvia Falcón is a vocalist who brings a wealth of talent and history to the duo. Her music has travelled from the traditional songs of the Peruvian Andes, through the mestizo folk melodies and the Andean coloratura repertoire. Sylvia’s impressive vocal range (4 octaves) can be appreciated in her four solo studio albums; Killa Lluqsimun "When the Moon Rises" (2008), Inkario (2014), Fantasía Pokcra (2016) and Qori Coya "Golden Lady” (2018). Sylvia Falcón was born in Lima and has developed a strong bond with the Andes due to the influence of her parents, who were born in Huancavelica and Ayacucho provinces. Sylvia Falcón is also an anthropologist focused on the study of traditional musicians in the Peruvian Andes. As an artist she is devoted to capturing and projecting the beauty of the ancient Inca culture.

Grimaldo is a Lima born producer and musician, who started playing guitar at 14. Soon after he worked with many bands that played a pivotal part in the 80s underground metal hardcore punk, and the 90s psychedelic/acid-rock Peruvian scenes. During the late 90s, Grimaldo started exploring traditional Peruvian music through an electronic music lens, which led to creating Novalima, a collective that fuses traditional Afro Peruvian music with DJ culture. Their discography spans 5 albums, which led them to touring internationally. Novalima has inspired a generation and has revolutionized the music scene in Peru by bridging a longstanding divide between the mainstream and the minority Afro-Peruvian community, who have struggled against discrimination and cultural dissolution for generations.

As Grimaldo was experimenting with new Quechua rhythms in Novalima, he found Sylvia Falcón and invited her to collaborate on the single “Chusay.” After working together at several concerts with Novalima, Grimaldo and Sylvia wanted to join forces to continue a new sound they were developing and Punku was born.

The duo concludes, “we hope our entire musical project contributes to reflecting a tiny ray of light to uplifting the spirit in these times.” Stay tuned for more music, videos, and the debut album from Punku dropping June 17th on Six Degrees Records.

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