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Music That Slave Masters Couldn't Kill
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Hartford Courant, Music That Slave Masters Couldn't Kill >>
In the coastal cities of Peru 35 years ago, Peru Negro was born when four men -- Ronaldo Campos, Lalo Izquierdo, Victor "Raul" Padilla and Rodolfo Arteaga -- set out to revive a nearly forgotten part of Peruvian culture, "the black music of Peru."
On Saturday, Campos' son Ronaldo, along with 22 dancers and musicians that make up Peru Negro -- "the Ambassadors of Black Peru" -- will perform at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. It is the last stop of a 13-city U.S. tour begun in late January to promote their second album, "Jolgorio," which translates as "celebratory frenzy."
Campos has made it a point to preserve the legacy of his father, who died
in 2001. He and other family members, and the extended families of the group's
present and past members, are a part of a movement by Afro-Peruvian artists to
create a permanent place for black folkloric music.
The misconception in North America is that there isn't a black presence in
Peru, says Juan Morillo, the group's tour manager in the United States.
While the stories of the indigenous people of Peru are often heard in the
sounds of Andean pan pipes, less often heard are the stories of Peruvians of
African descent through the sounds of the caj0n, a wooden crate; the cajita, a
church- offering box; and the quijada de burro, a dried-out donkey jawbone.
These instruments were created in the 1700s, when slave masters outlawed
drums, forcing Africans to improvise to re-create the music of their homeland.
Now they're essential to the distinctive sound of Afro-Peruvian music.
"They had to find a way to retain some the elements of their ancestors,"
says Morillo. "Unlike in the Caribbean, where slaves in Cuba were allowed to
continue their religion and music, slaves in Peru were cut off from their
traditions."
"They [slaves] made creative attempts to maintain their identity," says
Leo Garofalo, an assistant professor of history at Connecticut College in New
London.
So for years the music that was distinctly African in sound was only
played in the homes of black Peruvians, Morillo says. The mostly black
districts of El Carmen and Chincha were the birthplaces of the diverse
elements that make up Afro-Peruvian music. "The strength of black culture
was found more along the coast," says Garofalo. "Black Peruvian music is a
tradition that grew out of resistance, preservation and adaptation."
"The revival, starting in the 1950s and continuing into the '60s and
'70s, was the product of the changing times in the country and around the
world," Morillo says.
A community of black artists set out to piece together the scattered
remains of their past through interviews with elders and by adapting other
sounds -- congas, bongos and other percussive instruments once banned -- of
regions where there was slavery.
Reaffirming black pride became essential for musicians fighting for racial
equality.
An evolution in sound and cultural awareness has made Peru Negro one of
the most respected acts of its kind in South America, Europe and, now, the
United States, where the group is on its second tour. The first was in
California in 2002. The Lima-based group will start a third U.S. tour in
October.
"The response from audiences the first time was tremendous, but the
struggle with a group of this size is the cost," Morillo says. "But on this
second tour, shows are selling out. People want more."
Peru Negro's popularity in the late 1960s was due, in part, to changing
regimes in Peru. The new, more nationalistic leadership supported cultural
programs and the promotion of indigenous Peruvian folklore and sought to be
more inclusive.
Until the 1980s, the group received government funds, but when the
government collapsed, that forced the group to perform for tourists in
restaurants to raise money. European tours were out.
"But it was the dedication of the Campos family that helped the group
continue through hard times," Morillo says.
The group's opening number, "Afro," is a tribute to the rhythms of West
Africa and pays homage to ancestors who managed to stay strong and proud in even the most horrific times.
Yet they are as proud of their Peruvian and Spanish heritage as they are
of their ties to Africa, which is evident in "Zapateo," a traditional Latin
tap dance, performed in other South American countries as well, where two men
square off to compete.
Peru Negro's dancers, musicians and singer M0nica Duenas sew together the
patterns of the complex history of Afro-Peruvians. In "De Espana," Duenas'
powerful voice lyrically admonishes the colonizers and the Catholic Church for
their attempt to kill the spirit of blacks. The song compares colonization to
the crucifixion of Christ.
Fiorella Ayala, 15, the youngest member on tour, is an example of Peru
Negro's commitment to continuing legacies. Her mother was a dancer with the
group, and Fiorella has been with the group since she was 12.
Welte Auditorium is at 1615 Stanley St., on the campus of Central Connecticut
State University in New Britain. Tickets for Saturday's 7:30 show are $15 to
$35. Information: 860-832-1989.
02/27/04
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