Andes Manta brings South American music to Marlinton

Back by popular demand, Andes Manta returns to Marlinton for a Saturday night concert at the Pocahontas County Opera House on November 18, at 7:30 p.m.

Although its beginnings have been lost to the mists of time, Andean music has been played in South America for thousands of years. It is one of the few prehistoric art forms to survive 500 years of European occupation. Unlike gold and jewels, it could neither be melted nor stolen. Many indigenous South Americans believe that it is the music that preserves the heart and soul of the ancient ones. This beautiful and powerful music continues to be played from Colombia to Tierra del Fuego, and none play it better than the four Lopez brothers—Fernando, Luis, Bolivar and Jorge – as Andes Manta.

Natives of the Ecuadorian Andes, the brothers are classically trained musicians who learned their traditional folk music as it has been learned for thousands of years – passed from father to son, and brother to brother.

From the lyrical sound of the quena (Andean Flute) to the haunting tones of the six-foot long pan-pipes, Andes Manta performs in the purest and most authentic way using more than 35 traditional instruments. Far from being melancholy, the music of Andes Manta is a joyous celebration of daily life.

Andes Manta is well-known to presenters all over America for their virtuosity and extraordinary performances.

From Carnegie Hall to the Discovery Channel, from the National Cathedral to Lincoln Center and hundreds of schools, colleges and universities and performing arts venues across the country, their powerful and moving performances have played to standing ovation after standing ovation.

The group is also offering an opportunity to make your own pan pipe during a workshop on Saturday afternoon from 2 to 3 p.m. for a small materials fee. Please call 304-799-6645 to register.

Tickets are $10 for adults. Youth 17 and younger are admitted free of charge. Tickets are available at the door and in advance at pocahontasoperahouse.org or at the 4th Avenue Gallery in Marlinton.

The Pocahontas County Opera House is located at 818 Third Avenue in Marlinton. Performances at the Opera House are informal, family-friendly and open to all. The entrance and main seating are accessible to persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to attend; special accommodations can be arranged upon request by calling 304-799-6645.

The Opera House Performance Series is presented with financial assistance through a grant from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts. Support is also provided by Pocahontas County Drama, Fairs and Festivals and the Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau. This engagement of Andes Manta is made possible through the Special Presenters Initiative program of Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the WV Division of Culture and History.