Who knew a showcase of Afro-Peruvian cultural traditions could be so much unadulterated fun? Sunday night's production by the 20 dancers and musicians of Peru Negro was as entertaining a show as World Music has offered of late, imbued with theatrical flair and charming comic digressions. This was no sterile archival presentation but a fascinating look at a living tradition in the throes of social and cultural transformation, with artistry as rich and colorfully diverse as the history it reflects.

Vibrant rhythms popped and grooved, calling to mind a wealth of cultural influences from traditional African drumming to contemporary salsa, with syncopations and tricky internal rhythms within shifting meters.

Traditional instruments like the "cajon" (box drum), which is the heartbeat of the Afro-Peruvian sound, were complemented with a colorful array of more contemporary sounds, including electric bass and Cuban conga drums. Two guitars added melodic material (though lyric invention is clearly not a strong point).

That sense of diversity was reflected in the dances as well, which displayed a startling variety of influences. Most featured an amalgam of African and Latin- American dance forms combining grounded, bent-knee shuffles and shoulder isolations with rolling hips and intricate footwork.

The "lando" incorporated gentle dips and turns for the women, high kick jumps for the men. The "toro mata" played off the courtly dances the troupe's slave ancestors observed while serving at their masters' parties, mocking the stilted formality while slyly subverting it. A flirtatious "festejo" looked like a cross between Spanish folk dance and a jazzy soft-shoe. In "Zapateo," artistic director Ronny Campos and brother Marco staged a mock competition with a tap routine that many American hoofers would envy.

With the exception of the stiff, solemn ritual "Afro," the performances were lively, and singer Monica Duenas, with her slightly husky voice and charismatic persona, worked the crowd like a pro. In "Jolgorio," the title song of the troupe's new CD, she and the Campos brothers had the audience singing and clapping.

Some of the audience-friendly material went on too long, but it's easy to see why the troupe has become one of Peru's national treasures in the 25 years since Roland Campos de la Colina (father of Ronny and Marco and father-in-law of Duenas) founded Peru Negro. These exuberant folks make fabulous ambassadors.