INABE Concert Sparks Debate Over Ashaninka Song Rights

Women from the Ashaninka people of Peru will perform ancestral songs at a concert in Lima’s Teatro Segura, opening a discussion about intellectual property rights for collective cultural heritage. Months of searching through Peru’s Central Jungle located women who still remembered melodies passed down through generations, some of whom had stopped singing due to shame. The concert, “INABE: Cantos Ancestrales de Mujeres Ashaninka,” will feature traditional musicians and a five-year-old making his stage debut.

For the Ashaninka, music is integral to communication with nature and spirituality, with specific songs dedicated to their creator god and intimate moments. However, current copyright law struggles to protect music originating from entire communities rather than identifiable authors.

Lawyers involved with the project utilized the legal concept of “derivative work” to register new arrangements of the songs, ensuring the Ashaninka associations retain ownership. The concert aims to establish a legal precedent allowing the Ashaninka to definitively claim ownership of their musical traditions.