Student records album with Amazon indigenous people

Revenue from the album will fund Wampís-led ecological and education initiatives, Mr Kelly said

A University of Sussex student has recorded an album with an Amazonian Indigenous people in Peru.

PhD candidate Ben Kelly made the album with the Wampís Nation to raise money and awareness to support the preservation of their rainforest territory - currently under threat from illegal gold mining.

Mr Kelly said he wanted to spotlight the "ecocide" happening in the Amazon rainforest and its "consequences on all human and non-human actors within it".

This would best help protect its future, he added.

Mr Kelly and the Wampís recorded traditional Nampets, ancient songs sung from the view of rainforest animals, as well as environmental sounds and improvised performances.

The Wampís govern 1.3m hectares (3.2m acres) of Amazonian rainforest, a vital ecological region, according to the University of Sussex.

"Destructive" mining processes there are contaminating rivers with toxic chemicals that strip biodiversity and cause severe human health impacts, including neurological damage and birth defects, the university added.

All revenue from the internationally-released album – titled Los Bosquesinos (People of the Forests) - will fund Wampís-led ecological and education initiatives.

"What I most enjoyed about the project was spending time with the Wampís people, learning about their culture and unique perceptions of nature," added Mr Kelly.