The quena is a traditional end-blown flute of the Andean peoples, one of the most ancient and characteristic instruments of South America, widespread in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and neighbouring countries since the time of the Incas. It is made mostly of cane and held vertically.
Unlike the European flute, the quena has no whistle mouthpiece: the sound is produced when the player directs a stream of air against the sharp edge of a special notch at the end of the tube. The quena's timbre is soft, slightly “breathy,” and at the same time piercingly poignant, seeming to absorb the breath of the high mountain plateaus. It is the quena that leads the main melody in Andean ensembles, and its sound is known the world over through melodies such as “El Cóndor Pasa.” The quena has become a musical symbol of Andean cultural identity.
