Bolivia · Wood Carving / Musical Instrument-Making

Charango Lutherie

Charango; armadillo-backed form also called kirkinchu (Quechua for armadillo) or kirki

The construction of the charango, a small ten-string Andean lute historically built with a dried armadillo-shell resonator back and now predominantly hand-carved or laminated from wood, a material shift driven by international wildlife-trade restrictions and by luthiers' assessment that wood produces a stronger sound. Bolivian makers traditionally favor naranjillo and jacarandá woods, with a German spruce (pino abeto) soundboard as the sound-critical component.

Risk level: Extinct — Revival Exists · Not itself inscribed; Bolivia is a State Party to the 2003 ICH Convention

Alternate Names
Ronroco (larger register variant)
Geographic Center
Andean highland Bolivia broadly; the instrument is also made and played in Peru, Chile, and Argentina
Community / Ethnic Group
Aymara and Quechua highland communities; the instrument is closely associated with Aymara identity in contemporary retail and cultural framing
Estimated Origin
Post-conquest, evolved from the Spanish vihuela brought by conquistadores in the 16th–17th centuries; documented theories include indigenous adaptation of the vihuela form using available materials, and a possible origin as a portable lute that could be hidden under a poncho after the Spanish restricted native ancestral music practice; the earliest written historical references date to 1814, with no mention of armadillo material until later
Cultural Function
Courting and festival dance instrument, traditionally played solo or in ensemble by men in campesino communities; broadly central to Andean folk and huayño/wayno musical repertoire
Primary Materials
Historically, dried armadillo shell (from the quirquincho/hairy armadillo or tatú/hairless armadillo) for the resonator back; today predominantly carved or laminated hardwood — Bolivian makers favor naranjillo and jacarandá — with a German spruce (pino abeto) or equivalent conifer soundboard
Primary Tools
Carving tools (gouges, chisels) for hollowing the solid-wood body ("charango excavado" method) or, alternatively, thin-lamination construction ("charango laukeado"/molded method resembling guitar-building, more common in Peru's Cusco, Puno, and Ayacucho regions); planes and sandpaper for soundboard thinning; fretting tools
Process Overview
Season and dry the chosen woods; hollow-carve (or laminate/mold) the resonator body; craft and progressively thin the spruce soundboard to a wood-specific ideal thickness; shape and attach the neck and headstock; install the fretboard with 17 frets; string and finish.
Traditional Applications
Courting and festival dance music, played solo or in ensemble, historically restricted to male performers in campesino communities
Contemporary Applications
Broad use across Andean folk, huayño, and contemporary Latin American musical genres; sold internationally as both a functional instrument and a collectible craft object
Notable Practitioners
Pedro Quispe Torrez, a contemporary maker documented as having developed a strong reputation for high-quality wood-built instruments, using the wooden soundbox as a canvas for intricate carved designs and sometimes carving the bowl to reference the historic armadillo-shell form; Juan Gamboa, a Bolivian luthier documented as a maker of armadillo-shaped charangos (kirkinchu/kirki style) with metal strings
Key References
The Nature of Music ("Musical armadillos and changing charangos"); Guitar Wiki/Fandom (Charango); Lark in the Morning; Grokipedia (Charango); Guild of American Luthiers (American Lutherie #104); construyeuncharango.blogspot.com; luthierdemadera.blogspot.com
Verification Status
Desk-Researched

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