First Austin Annual Gathering of Sikuris
A gathering to remember, heal, and reconnect through Indigenous Andean music, communal practice, and ancestral teachings.
What is Sikuri?
Sikuri is an Andean musical tradition where musicians share one melody across complementary panpipes, playing in synchronized breathing and collective rhythm. Practiced for centuries in the highlands of Peru and Bolivia, it is both a musical expression and a communal ceremony rooted in reciprocity, listening, and harmony.
Our Mission
Core Activities
Weekly Classes (Primary Program)
Free, community-based Sikuri classes and ensemble practice
Ongoing skill development and collective learning
Open to participants with and without prior musical experience
Community Gatherings (Supplemental)
Two gatherings featuring workshops and lectures
Collective Sikuri ensemble sessions
Talks on Andean worldview and ancestral knowledge
Performances led by visiting Sikuri mentors and local community musicians
Our mission is to sustain and share Sikuri as a living Indigenous practice rooted in cooperation, listening, and collective responsibility. Through ongoing weekly classes and periodic community gatherings, the project creates participatory learning environments where music functions as a shared, relational experience rather than an individual performance.
Overview
This project is centered on ongoing weekly Sikuri classes and ensemble practice offered by Comunidad Wayra in Austin. These regular sessions form the foundation of the work, creating continuity, skill development, and a stable community of participants over time.
Within this ongoing practice, the project also includes two community gatherings that bring together weekly participants and the broader public for concentrated workshops, lectures, and collective music-making. These gatherings serve as moments of deeper immersion and shared learning within the larger, year-long rhythm of classes.
The project is organized by Comunidad Wayra and includes the participation of visiting fifth-generation Sikuri mentor Fernando Barragán of Bolivia.
Visiting Sikuri Mentor
Fernando Barragán (Bolivia)
A fifth-generation Sikuri and one of the most respected maestros of the tradition in South America. For decades, Fernando has taught, organized communities, and led Sikuri groups across the region. He founded the Gathering of Sikuris in Argentina in 2005—an influential annual event that continues today. Fernando is also a highly regarded Indigenous instrument maker, with some of his instruments held in the Smithsonian National Museum of the Native American, in Washington, D.C.
Who This Is For
The project is open to anyone interested in music, culture, and communal learning. Weekly classes provide a low-barrier entry point, while the community gatherings offer opportunities for deeper engagement. No prior musical experience is required.
Documentation Component
Select classes and gatherings will be documented as part of a documentary film currently in development, which follows the growth of Andean musical traditions in Austin and the work of visiting tradition bearers. Documentation is approached as a form of cultural preservation and community storytelling, developed in collaboration with participants.
About the Organizers
The project is organized by Alonso Luján (Peru) and Eduardo Cassapia (Bolivia), co-founders of Comunidad Wayra, an Andean music community based in Austin. Since 2024, Comunidad Wayra has offered free weekly Sikuri classes, building a consistent, multigenerational community of participants.
Both organizers have spent decades studying, performing, and teaching Andean musical traditions. Their role in this project is to steward the weekly program, host visiting mentors, and ensure continuity between classes, gatherings, and community participation.
More Information
For media inquiries, collaboration, or festival details, please reach out directly. Additional materials, documentation, and work samples are available upon request.