Brings back memories of ye olde busking days at the festival of Spring in Ottawa. Around 1980. I was a newly minted hammered dulcimer player and was doing pretty well at attracting crowds and dinero. But there was this muchacho who I'd seen on the streets recently, blowing his pan-pipes with GREAT artristry and no amplification, thank you very much--and he'd get twice the crowd I would. (So we had a mutual respect of the streets.) By the way Steve, Andean origin has everything to do with the requisite lung power.

His name was Dario Domingues, he was a political refugee from the Andes, I'm not sure what country. He stayed in Ottawa and became a prominent member of our folk music community, a Canadian citizen, and also quite successful--went and toured Europe every year with a band of top-shelf Ottawa musicians.

He died a couple of years ago in his late forties, another sad and unexpected loss to the hometown scene.

And man, he could work a tune.

Willie-O