Peru Negro: coastal music and dance in Peru - includes a poem by Nicomedes Santa Cruz

American Visions, June-July, 1997 by Don Skoog

It was in the 1970s, during a resurgence of national pride and artistic expression, that a visionary named Reynaldo Campos founded the group Peru Negro, sparking a nationwide renaissance of traditional music and dance. Peru Negro is known for its meticulous reconstruction of traditional lyrics, intricate choreography and high performance standards. A Peru Negro concert is a guided tour through the history of Peruvian dance and music. Whether explaining the origins of the song and dance "Toro Mata" or describing the customs of black Christmas, the group's presentations are as entertaining as they are informative. Peru Negro's eponymous album is the definitive collection of its classic works, but the group continues to write and record. More than 20 years later, Campos still directs the Peru Negro, demanding the highest standards from a new generation of dancers and musicians.

The late Isabel (Chabuca) Granda Larco (1920-83) is the most beloved of all Peruvian composers. Near the end of her long, prolific career, she turned from popular and orchestral music to traditional expressions. Her album, Tarimba Negra (Cintas Sono Radio 430, 1978), is a strong collection of her work.

Eva Allyon, the golden voice of Peru, has a new album out, Ritmo, Color y Sabor (Discos Independientes S.A., 1996). The first tune, "Aplausos Para el Peru," a nostalgic patriotic plea to all Peruvians, has swept the country. Her shows are sexy, funny and sophisticated. Allyon shares the stage well with her talented musicians, giving extended solos to her pianist, guitarists and cajoneros. Her music blends Afro-Peruvian rhythms with Creole songs, ballads and waltzes that reflect all of the people of coastal Peru. Of Allyon's large repertoire and many albums to her credit, the one to listen to first is Grandes Exitos de Eva Allyon (Discos Independientes S.A.), which represents a good overview of her range of musical and vocal styles.

Other singers worth noting include Lucila Campos, who incorporates traditional music in her salsa, and Cecilia Barraza, who blends Afro-Peruvian forms with popular waltz tunes.

Deeply rooted in traditions of the coast, bandleader Mickey Gonzales is nonetheless in a category all his own. Adding traditional instruments to a rock band, he has laid out his own path in the musical world. Gonzales' rock fusions have created a powerful new sound that has sparked the interest of younger Peruvians and has brought a new audience to the music. Other groups have also been expanding their instrumentations to include bass, piano, congas, bongos and minor percussion; as the music has evolved, it has become more contemporary through the use of horns, woodwinds, drums and electric guitars.

The best known Peruvian musician in the United States is the virtuoso percussionist Alex Acuna. His career has taken him all over the world, playing with the greats of jazz and Latin music -- Weather Report, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and Arturo Sandoval, among others -- but his roots are in Peru, and his style reflects his heritage. On De Cajon (SED Multimedia, 1995), by Caitro Soto, Acuna, on drums, works with the other musicians to blend Peruvian style with Latin jazz in a wide-ranging musical journey. (Soto is one of the best and most influential of all Peruvian cajon players.)