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Eva Ayllon Sings the Black Side of Peruvian Music
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Madison Capital Times, Eva Ayllon Sings the Black Side of Peruvian Music >>
While she may not be a household name in North America, Eva Ayllon is a full-fledged diva in her native Peru, filling stadiums of 30,000 people with her Afro-Peruvian music, which is influenced by both Spanish and African roots.
Hoping to expose people to the music of the region, Ayllon is embarking on a major North American tour in support of her new "Eva! Legenda Peruana" CD, including a stop at the Madison World Music Festival at the Memorial Union Terrace, 800 Langdon St., at 9:30 p.m. Friday.
She spoke with The Capital Times through an interpreter:
How does it feel to bring your music to places you've never been before?
I'm really fascinated and very passionate about this. I'm excited to bring my music to the world at a level it should be appreciated at.
Do you feel like you're an ambassador for this style of music?
I can't really say that, because that's an appointed position. But spiritually and emotionally, I do represent the music on a world level.
What are your hopes for the tour and the new album?
My biggest hope is that the audience we see black Peruvian music in a different light. For a majority of people, when you say Peruvian music people think of the other style, which his more from the Andes. Being a black woman culturally, emotionally, spiritually, I want to present that. There's a lot of people who don't even know that Peru has a black tradition.
How would you describe the difference between Afro-Peruvian music and the Andean style that more people might be familiar with?
This music definitely represents the coastal black region. All styles of music from Peru are beautiful. The black Peruvian music is more explosive, more energetic. Dance is definitely a big influence on the music, as well as the rhythms.
Did you grow up with a lot of music around you?
My grandmother was my biggest influence for me to become an interpreter of Peruvian music. From a young age, she would make me listen to traditional Peruvian music, before I was allowed to listen to rock music or anything else. I had to know my music before I could learn anybody else's.
What emotions do you feel when you're performing?
I feel gratitude, and give thanks to God for being able to perform in front of audiences. I'm really thankful for being able to do this kind of performance on the stage. There's no feeling to describe when I'm in front of 60,000 people and they're all singing my songs. People are copying the way I breathe within my songs. It's a miracle from God.
09/15/04
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