Rectangular shaped with 6 holes and incised geometric decoration and traces of colour.
Played by being blown like a recorder but the holes are covered with the middle of the fingers rather than the tips. The musician blows hard to produce a harsh, hoarse sounds. The sound is actually two notes played at the same time, each an octave (eigh tones) apart. Tarkas are played at certain times of the year at village festivals in the Andes Mountains. THe sound of the flute is thought to be magical and encourage dry weather. Played by an indigenious group, Aymara people, in South America. They live in the Andes near lake Titicaca in parts of Bolivia, Chile, Peru and Argentina. Tarkas are linked to certain seasons of the year, is the weather is too dry another kind of tarka, a 'pinkkillu' is played to attract rain.
