Charango

The charango is a plucked string instrument from the South American region of the Andes. Armadillo shell serves as the resonating body. The origins of the charango are presumably found in the Bolivian city of Potosí in the 16th century. At this time, silver deposits lured people from all over the world into the city. They brought guitars, vihuelas, and turning lyres with them. The local population, the Quechua, copied these plucked string instruments and created the charango.