Las puertas de la memoria

…Y el canto se acrecentaba, atravesaba los elementos; y todo se convertía en esa música cuzqueña, que abría las puertas de la memoria. (…And the song grew, piercing the elements, and everything transformed into the music of Cuzco, the music that opened the doors of memory.) Las Puertas de la memoria (The Doors of memory) is based on the novel, Los ríos profundos (Deep Rivers) by the Peruvian writer, José María Arguedas (1911-1969). The main character of this book is a young boy named Ernesto who recounts the story of his adolescent years spent in a Catholic boarding school in the Andean city of Abancay, Peru. The music begins by emulating the Maria Angola: the name given to the sound of the bells welling up from the cathedral of Cuzco. A sound which one could imagine almost axiomatically making passersby form the sign of the cross.  The second movement is based on the Huayno – a very popular folk rhythm and dance from the Andes. It is constantly mentioned by the young Ernesto throughout the book and is intrinsically linked to the culture of native Peruvians.  Zumbayllu (Child’s Spinning Top) is the third movement and represents the magical element of the novel. Ernesto believes his toy has magical powers and can transport messages to distant places, as well as make his voice reach the ears of his absent father.