The most common size, the Malta takes the role of tenor. One octave lower than the chuli, the malta is considered the standard siku (key of G). The Malta is where you want to begin your lessons on the Siku.
The Siku is native to the Andes mountains. Also referred to as Zampoña in Spanish, it is a pre-colombian instrument that is prevalent in the indigenous communites of the Altiplano region between Bolivia and Peru. The Siku is now popular throughout much of Latin America, and tourists may be exposed to the instrument while traveling in Mexico or Central America. This is a recent phenomenon occurring in the last 30 years as Andean music has gained in popularity. The origins, however, are specific: the central Andean mountain chain running through present day Bolivia and Peru.
[audio:/instruments/Malta.mp3|titles=Sounds of the Malta|artists=Andrew Taher|autostart=no| loop=yes]
