Aesthetics of sound and listening in the Andes: The case of the Mantaro valley

Peoples and cultures ascribe to the same acoustic sounds different social-r elated qualities, sentimental references and aesthetic values. In the centr al Peruvian Andes, for example, people perceive and value the sounds of the saxophone and clarinet in a different way from those living in other parts of the Andes. This article briefly describes how both instruments became p opularized in the region during the present century and displaced older pre -Hispanic and colonial instruments. It also attempts to explain the social conditions which make possible the acceptance of "new" over "older" and loc al sounds.