Before the arrival of Europeans, native Central Americans already had ancient and sophisticated musical traditions. Singing, dancing and musical instruments were vital ingredients of everyday recreation while at the same time associated importantly with religious rites and shamanism.
In the Aztec pantheon the god Five Blossoms (Macuilxochitl or Xochipilli (the Blossom King)) presided over music. From earlier times still, trumpets, shell horns, bells, rattles and scrapers have all been excavated.
As elsewhere in the Americas, and indeed throughout much of the Old World, those most ancient of melodic instruments, Pan-pipes and flutes, were also favourites. Mayan wall-paintings show drums and rattles being used in ceremonies and processions, while figurines show shamans, dancers and musicians wearing rattling anklets.
Despite attempts by early Christian authorities to destroy them, variants of many of these archaic musical practices still survive in folk-use today.
