Standing in the middle of Bourke Street is a huddle of people surrounding a man.

A man with long black hair wearing a traditional Peruvian necklace around his neck is standing above seven different South American traditional panflutes.

The crowd is drawn to him as he plays with his eyes closed and the mellow, soulful yet upbeat sound drowns out the other street artists on Bourke Street. His name is Beto Chinguel.

Beto Chinguel has been sharing his love of traditional South American music with Bourke Street for eight years. Originally from Peru, Beto moved to Melbourne 12 years ago after falling in love with the city on a holiday.

“I’m happy to perform for anyone. My music is like a message from mother earth, I play from the heart,” he says.

“Bourke Street is a busy street and I meet a lot of different people from different cultures. I sell a lot of cd’s which is a good feeling for me.”

Traditionally, the music Beto plays was performed during a full moon as a harvest ceremony in hope crops would prosper. But today, the traditional sound of the panflute is widely used for tourism purposes and is slowly being forgotten by the younger generations in Peru.

“Music is like a medicine for everyone. If you feel stressed or depressed, listen to some music or play an instrument,” Beto says.