The Most Heavy Metal Charango: 10 Songs Featuring a Charango
In this series of articles, we explore 10 metal bands that beautifully incorporate the charango into their music either as a main instrument or as a small intervention. Enjoy!
Featuring Kranium, Tierramystica, Chaska, Paghania, Herteitr, Folkheim, RAMCHAT, Reino Ermitaño, Arraigo and Shaman
Attribution: Elvert Barnes, CC BY 2.0
The charango is one of the most popular traditional Andean acoustic stringed instruments with typically ten strings in five courses of two strings each, with many other variations existing. Originally made with the shell from the back of an armadillo, nowadays charango can also be made from different hardwoods.
It was developed in the Andes Mountains probably in the early 18th century and was played throughout the Andean regions of Peru, Bolivia, northern Chile, Ecuador, and northwestern Argentina.
In this series of articles, we explore 10 bands that beautifully incorporate the charango in their music either as the main instrument or as a small intervention.
Follow The Most Heavy Metal Charango playlist on Spotify
Kranium - "La Tapada"
Hailing from Peru, Kranium is a folk/doom/death metal band formed in 1984. Band's current lineup consists of Eloy Arturo - lead guitar, rhythmic guitar, acoustic guitar, rain stick, stones, Mito Espíritu - lead guitar, rhythmic guitar, acoustic guitar, quena, zampoña, charango, Dennis Yamazato - drums, percussion, Ian Chang - bass, and Christian Meléndez - keyboards, vocals. La Tapada is from the band's full-length album Uma Tullu released in December 2020.
Read our interview with Mito Espíritu here
Connect with Kranium
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Tierramystica - "Vision of the Condor"
Tierramystica is a Brazilian power/folk metal band formed in 2007. Band members are Fabiano Müller - guitars, quena, Ricardo Chileno - vocals, guitars, ocarina, charango, craviola, bombo, Gustavo Strapazon - bass, Ricardo Confessori - Drums, Bruno Lacerda - guitars, Fábio Laguna - Keyboards, Dan Rubin - vocals. Vision of the Condor is included in Heirs of the Sun, the band's last studio album released in 2013.
Connect With Tierramystica
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Chaska - "Sweet Lover"
The Peruvian folk metal band Chaska was formed in 2002. The band consists of Carlo Alonso "Hueso" Raffo - vocals, guitars (rhythm), Fabián Flores Castro - drums, Giovanni Villar - guitars (lead), Hernán Gonzales - bass, Ronald Quispe - quena, zampoña, charango. Sweet Lover is taken from the band's first EP Ch'aska released in 2003. The song was later included in the band's compilation album entitled Everlasting Night, released in 2017.
Connect With Chaska
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Paghania - "Santuario del Puma"
Santuario del Puma is taken from the band's demo Hijos del Folklore released in 2007. The band's current lineup consists of Fernanda - accordion, Daniel - bass, Oscar - charango, flute, Mario - drums, Marcial - guitars, Armando - guitars, Jordán - violin and Jaime - vocals, keyboards.
Connect With Paghania
Facebook / Instagram
Herteitr - "Flames of Fury Steel Burning"
Herteitr is a pagan folk metal band from Colombia, founded in 2007 initially as Odisey. Flames of Fury Steel Burning is taken off of the band's EP Battleblood released in 2018. Band members are German Gomez - guitars, mandolin, vocals, Yilmer León - guitars, charango, Diego Gómez - accordion, Leo Zauriel - wind instruments, Alex Blanco - bass and Hernan Garcia - drums.
Connect With Herteitr
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Folkheim - "Vai-Heva"
The folk/black Metal from Chile was founded in 2003. The current lineup consists of Alexis - vocals, Erik Nicolas Muñoz Arraño - guitars, vocals, Andrés de la Cuadra - keyboards, programming, Pedro Muñoz - guitars, vocals, trutruca, charango, zampoña, ukelele, Martin Moreira - drums and Nelson Vilaboa - bass. Vai-Heva is from the band's first full-length album Mapu Ñi Tiam released in 2012.
Connect With Folkheim
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RAMCHAT - "Za úsvitu"
The Slovakian black/pagan metal band was formed in 2013. Band members are Martin "Walki" Valkár - vocals, Pavel "Hirax" Baričák - guitars, charango, vocals, Viťo Kotrík - guitars, Mišo "Golbiško" Goldberger - drums and Richard Pokorný - bass. Za úsvitu is from the band's second full-length album entitled Nepočaria!, released in 2017.
Connect With RAMCHAT
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Reino Ermitaño - "Apátrida"
Reino Ermitaño was a Peruvian doom metal band founded in 2001 and split up in 2020. Apátrida is from the band's last full-length album Conjuros de Poder released in 2014.
Connect With Reino Ermitaño
Facebook / Spotify
Arraigo - "Mambolindoquilombo"
The heavy/folk metal band from Buenos Aires was formed in 2004. The current line up is: Pablo Trangone - vocals, bombo, legüero, cajón peruano, keyboards, Mariano Perret - guitars, charango, Leonardo Pazos - bass, Federico Prieto - Drums, Bombo, Legüero, Leandro Ramogida - guitars. Mambolindoquilombo is taken off of the band's last full length album Nosotrosacayahora released in 2017.
Connect With Arraigo
Facebook / Spotify
Shaman - "Ego Pt. 1"
Shaman is a Brazilian progressive/power metal band formed in 2000. Ego Pt. 1 is from the band's last full-length album Origins released in 2010. The band's current lineup consists of Alírio Netto - vocals, Hugo Mariutti - guitars, vocals, Ricardo Confessori - drums, Luís Mariutti - bass, vocals and Fabio Ribeiro- keyboards.
Connect With Shaman
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YouTube Playlist
Spotify Playlist
Do you know of any other heavy metal bands featuring the charango in their songs? Tell us in the comments below and we'll make sure to add them!
In this series: The Most Black Metal Accordion, The Most Death Metal Saxophone, The Most Heavy Metal Bagpipe, The Most Heavy Metal Violin, The Most Heavy Metal Banjo, The Most Folk Metal Flute and The Most Heavy Metal Harp
About Eugenia Roditis
Eugenia's passion for music was ignited from an early age as she grew up in a family of musicians. She loves attending concerts and festivals, while constantly seeking fresh and exciting new artists across diverse genres. Eugenia joined the MusicnGear team in 2012.
Contact Eugenia Roditis at eugenia.roditis@kinkl.com
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