Cultural revival

Then there's the Boston debut of Peru Negro this Sunday at the Berklee Performance Center, presented by World Music. The 35-year- old troupe, founded by musician-choreographer Ronaldo Campos de la Colina, has helped to revive the black cultural heritage of that South American nation.

Peru Negro began in El Carmen, a village along Peru's Pacific coast, where descendants of the African slave trade still live.

Campos de la Colina, an erstwhile bus driver, made it his mission to preserve the dance and music that was already there and develop the Afro-Peruvian style even further. While Campos de la Colina himself died last year, his family - nieces, nephews, grandchildren - continues to perform with the company, which is now based in Lima and has become an unofficial ambassador for black Peru, performing around the world.