Like other songs on the album, "K'arwawi" does not seem to have been used in concert, leading one to suspect that Inca Taqui was seen as a tribute to simpler Inca Taky Trio days rather than as an example of Yma expanding her repertoire.

"K'arwawi" is immediately striking for its opening which boasts Yma warbling a pseudo-cadenza over the plucking of a guitar and the gentle beating of a drum.  This cadenza is a marvellous effect since Yma uses an unusual combination of opera and blues to simulate the calling of workers to their labor.  This simple call takes Yma up to high D and offers a flurry of triplet figures.

Strangely, she then breaks into nonsensical, chant-like fragments repeating "Mama, mama, mamallay" with whispered sobs resembling an invocation, or religious pleading.  After the chorus wails their agreement, Yma sings the main theme in her contralto register in a trembling, agitated manner.  Although the E minor song is not complex, nor particularly interresting, it does have actual thematic fragments from very old, traditional, Andean planting chants.  It also should be noted that the guitar accompaniment is actually thematic itself.  It is an old, traditional melody always found in Yma's live performances of "Taita Inty" (Virgin of the Sun God).

A duet suddenly springs out of nowhere as Yma over-dubs herself and then is augmented by accompanying sighs and bark-like exclamations.   After repeating the theme with ornamental filigree sung over colorful guitar plucking, she descends to a low, resonant E natural.  Another effect is created at this point by over dubbing Yma's voice humming the same note two octaves higher.

Unfortunately, this song is too fragmented and stark to be a great hit with listeners.  There is, however, a refreshing flavor of ethnic authenticity to the music and performance.