Castaneda s instrument isn t the golden classic seen and heard in symphony orchestras, Marx Brothers movies and paintings of angels on high. He plays a Colombian harp, a smaller, sleeker-looking instrument on which he uses his left hand to play bass parts, his right hand for the melody. In eastern Colombia, musica llanera - plains music - is part of a tradition introduced to South America by the Spanish in the 18th century and picked up by cowboys on the plains.

It s a folkloric ensemble sound that includes a bassist, but the harp is its percussive anchor.