American Melodies

Alexandro Querevalu will tour China from Dec 10 to Jan 26. The musician usually does his own makeup for performances and tries to portray a traditional Native American look.[Photo provided to China Daily]

His signature music, he says, transcends "the boundaries of this kind of music throughout the world and has a uniting effect on people of all races, nations, religions and cultures.

"In the past, not many people knew about Native American music or the instruments used to produce it. With the songs I play, I hope that people can now see and hear how a simple flute can touch the soul."

He portrays emotions such as sadness that have touched his own life.

Querevalu uses sounds of nature - water, rocks and birds - and creates more with nuts, whistles, rattles and paper.

"The instruments I play are ancient Andean instruments, which have existed since the dawn of the American civilization. They are very popular in the land of the ancient Inca Empire, which means 'the four sides of the sun'," says the 43-year-old musician.

Querevalu had a tough childhood in Lima in the 1980s and '90s. Peru was then hit by an economic crisis and the cholera epidemic, and many people lost their jobs and lives.

He was a teenager then, seeking peace in music while his parents struggled financially.

Querevalu's family has musical roots.