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Concert Preview
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San Luis New Times, Concert Preview >>
Imagine you're Dennis the Menace and you're surrounded by Mr. Wilsons, all bent on ruining your fun. That was basically the situation in Peru circa early-18th century, when slaves were forbidden from using drums.
Early slave music, rhythmical songs adapted to a cajona (a wooden box of agricultural origins that players sit on and play between their legs), became a mainstay of black Peru, despite the ban on drumming, and eventually a hybridization of African, Indian, Latin, and European music evolved over the next 200 tears to form contemporary Peruvian music.
Peru Negro, an Afro-Peruvian perfomance troupe, creates music close to the cajona-driven roots of the South American country, but with a strong Latin component. Last year the 26 piece music and dance ensemble released Jolgorio, a rhythm-heavy album wth world beat sounds. They're currently on a North American tour and will play a dozen cities, including ours when Peru Negro hits the stage at the Blakesee Auditorium on this Saturday, Feb. 7, at 8 p.m. Advanced tickets ($17 for students, $20 general public) are available at Boo Boo's, or pay $25 at the door.
"Peru Negro will be presenting music from their forthcoming recording and will give audiences on the Central Coast an opportunity to experience the rich and diverse culture of black Preuvians," said concert promoter Pedro Arroyo, "If you like Susan Baca, you will love the musical energy of Peru Negro!"
According to the band's bio, "In 1969, Ronaldo Campos was playing cajon in a Lima tourist restaurant. With encouragment from the restaurant proprietor, Campos adapted his repertoire to emphasize black music, Peru Negro was born. Soon after, Peru Negro won the grand prize at the Hispanoamerican Festival of Song and Dance in Buenos Aires, Argentina and overnight became a national treasure in Peru."
On Jolgorio, flute, strings, and a rich selection of percussive instruments create a complex polyrhythmic sound. A chorus of Spanish vocals and a whirl of dancers comprises the band's stage show. Explore your inner Dennis the Menace while taking a trip south of the equator with Peru Negro. 02/05/04
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