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In the United States, most people are still unfamiliar with Peru's black cultural traditions.
When they think of Peruvian music, most Americans think of the Andean folk style, with its panpipes and flutes popularized by Simon and Garfunkel's 1970 hit song, "El Condor Pasa."
Afro-Peruvian music is a blend of centuries-old Spanish, Andean and African traditions.
As in many Caribbean and Latin countries, African slaves were brought to the Spanish colony of Peru in the early 1700s to labor in the fields of wealthy landowners.
Because the Africans were banned from dancing or building their native drums, they invented the "cajon," a wooden box held between the legs and played with the hands.
They also created the "cajita," a small wooden box played with a stick in the right hand while the left hand opens and shuts the top in rhythmic time. And then there was the "quijada," a donkey's jaw played by striking the wide part of the jaw with the fist to obtain a rattle sound.
Black Peruvian music recognition began in the 1950s with the nation's black artistic revival, led by poet, composer and musicologist Nicomedes de Santa Cruz.
The '60s and '70s international black pride movements were additional factors, as was the political atmosphere of a new government in Peru that favored nationalistic expressions, which helped to popularize and promote the art of long hidden artists and musicians.
The appearance of two musical groups rescued black Peruvian music and dance from obscurity.
One was the group Cumanana, founded by Santa Cruz, which disbanded in the '70s.
The other was Peru Negro, founded by cajon player Ronaldo Campos and a Cuban drummer named Jesus "el Nino" Nicasio.
The two musician friends adapted their musical repertoire and organized a group of instrumentalists, singers and dancers, winning the grand prize at the Hispano-American Festival of Song and Dance in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and soon becoming a popular national act in Peru.
When Campos died in 2001, his son Rony Campos took over Peru Negro's musical direction, adding creative innovations like the flute, which has developed into an important element in black Peruvian music.
El Nino's son, Macario, perfected his father's drum patterns as a member of Peru Negro and now, el Nino's grandson, Macarito, continues the tradition as a member of the current group.
"Within our performance pieces are dances that express the rebellious feelings of the slaves at that time," explained Rony Campos by phone. "There is another dance we do which expresses a celebration of a successful crop season. And there is a dance with violin and tap dancing that was performed around the Christmas holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus. These dances are still done in the towns in Peru."
Campos explained that initially, Peru Negro comprised 12 family members. Now, more than 30 people are involved and the Lima-based music and dance ensemble runs its own school and junior troupe called Peru Negrito. The current group performs Jan. 29 at Laxson Auditorium.
"To be in Peru Negro represents constant growth," he said. "There are always new members coming into our troupe. We have to teach the new members and then they teach others. So change and transformation is the constant with us."
The only Afro-Peruvian performance troupe to last 35 years, it has remained a family affair, with nieces, nephews, grandchildren, in-laws and even the offspring of former members training and becoming a part of the musical tradition.
"Families have traditionally created groups of music in Peru," Campos said. "That is what has kept traditional music going. This has its roots as part of family reunion celebrations, making music with one another for several days, generation upon generation passing this music down to one another."
The work of black Peruvian artists was first spotlighted in the United States on "The Soul of Black Peru," a 1995 compilation on former Talking Heads member David Byrne's Luaka Bop Records.
It included songs by Peru Negro and its vocal alumnae, Peruvian performers Eva Allyon and Lucila Campos, along with Susana Baca, who has gone on to record several solo albums (and performed at the Chico World Music Festival in 2002).
"Our traditional music is already being transformed or fused by our fellow Peruvian and American-Peruvian percussionists and jazz musicians.
"There are also Mexican music groups who have started blending Afro-Peruvian rhythms into rock 'n' roll.
"But our group has and is all about the tradition. That is our focus. But even Peru Negro, we've added modern elements, like the bass, violin, guitar and flute.
"Our Afro-Peruvian sound is very joyful and exciting. Our costumes are very colorful. These elements all reflect our traditional music base."
The group has performed all over the world and has been appointed as "Ambassadors of Peruvian Culture" by their government.
Last year, Peru Negro released its second CD with Times Square Records, "Jolgorio," which translates as "a state of celebratory frenzy," reflecting the group's contemporary artistic evolution while maintaining strong ties to its centuries-old roots.
Chico Performances presents Peru Negro at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 29 at Chico State University's Laxson Auditorium. Tickets, $12-$22, are available in Chico at the University Box Office, Terrace Pharmacy and Cal Java on The Skyway and in Paradise at House of Color. Add $2 at the door. Call 898-6333.
www.perunegro.org
