Huayno (Quechua: wayñu, Spanish: huaino, huayno, huayño) is a genre of popular Andean Music and dance originally from Andean countries. It is especially common in Peru and Bolivia, but also present in Chile, Argentina and Ecuador, and is practiced by a variety of ethnic groups, including the Quechuas and Aymaras.
The history of Huayño dates back to the colonial Peru as a combination of traditional rural folk music and popular urban dance music. High-pitched vocals are accompanied by a variety of instruments, including quena (flute), harp, siku (panpipe), accordion, saxophone, charango, lute, violin, guitar, and mandolin. Some elements of huayño originate in the music of the pre-Columbian Andes, especially on the territory of former Inca Empire. Huayno utilizes a distinctive rhythm in which the first beat is stressed and followed by two short beats. .
