The Music
The music in The Last Ice Merchant was composed for the movie by the fantastic Ecuadorian band, Andes Manta. Comprised of four Ecuadorian brothers – Fernando, Luis, Bolivar and Jorge Lopez – Andes Manta specializes in the traditional instruments and songs of the Andean mountains of South America.
The brothers were born into the cultural tradition of Andean music, making music their entire lives. They play over 35 traditional instruments, from the quena (Andean flute) and the 6-foot-long panpipes, to the bandolin and charango. Much of their music celebrates the cycles of life and mimics the sounds of nature.
The music of Andes Manta carries on an authentic tradition that is thousands of years old and that survived over 500 years of European occupation of South America. It is a cultural folk tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation and can truly be called the voice of the people.