| Alonso del Rio is a powerful maestro who | | | | teaching, he says: "I didn't feel comfortable |
| interweaves Shipibo and other icaros with sacred | | | | reproducing the chants that I'd learned with my |
| music of his own to lead you on your journey; he is | | | | maestro, so one night I picked up my guitar and |
| both a talented musician and an inspiring | | | | began to play what came to me and the result was |
| communicator of the Amazonian shamanic world. He | | | | surprising. From then on I was never without my |
| first came into contact with ayahuasca in 1979 after | | | | guitar at ceremonies and over the years many songs |
| spending three years working with huachuma (San | | | | came to me, set to different rhythms for |
| Pedro). This was when he met Don Benito Arevalo, a | | | | ceremonies and incorporating teachings and |
| grand Shipibo shaman with whom he developed a | | | | revelations from the medicine itself.â He has |
| long relationship, and who gave him his first teachings | | | | published three CDs to date. Alonso lives in the |
| in ayahuasca and other medicinal plants. | | | | sacred valley of Cusco where he runs a healing |
| Later, taking ayahuasca alone as part of his traditional | | | | centre and a primary school for local children. |