Reynalda Jaita y Patricio Colque

Tonada potosina is a traditional song form from the Potosí region of Bolivia. It blends Iberian colonial "tonada" song aesthetics with Andean melodic and poetic sensibilities, and is typically performed with voices accompanied by charango, guitar, and Andean flutes such as quena and zampoña. Rhythmically, it often sits in a gentle triple meter (3/4) or in a lilting 6/8 with Andean sesquialtera (hemiola) interplay. Melodies favor pentatonic and natural minor/Dorian colors, while lyrics dwell on love, longing, the mining life of Potosí, and regional devotion and festivity (e.g., Ch'utillos). The result is a tender, nostalgic style that can be either intimate and contemplative or lightly danceable.