icaros

An icaro is a sacred song used by Amazonian shamans in healing ceremonies, most commonly in rites that involve ayahuasca. Icaros are believed to originate from spirits, plant teachers, or animal totems and are transmitted to the shaman through apprenticeship and spiritual guidance. In practice, icaro melodies are employed as musical tools to prepare and guide the patient’s experience, diagnose or mitigate illness, protect participants, and call or repel spiritual entities during the ritual.

Icaros vary widely among communities and lineages. They may be taught within a family or ethnic tradition or learned directly from the plant teachers. The songs are often sung in local languages or in the shaman’s own vocalizations and may be accompanied by percussion, rattles, or other instruments. Some icaro repertoires are associated with specific plants, animals, or healing functions, while others are improvised or adapted to the moment.

Performance typically occurs during ayahuasca ceremonies, where the shaman uses icaro to interact with visions, direct the flow of the ceremony, and support the healing process. Believers describe icaro as containing spiritual power that can remove illness, restore balance, or protect against malevolent influence. In anthropology and ethnomusicology, icaro is regarded as a core element of Amazonian ritual music and a key example of the region’s integrative approach to healing, spirituality, and medicine.