Exploring: Afro-Peruvian Jazz


I’m starting a new series today entitled Exploring.  These articles will allow you to travel with me as I explore various sides of Latin Jazz that are still fairly new to me.  I’ve studied and performed Cuban-based Latin Jazz quite a bit, and to a lesser degree, I’ve been involved with Brazilian influenced Latin Jazz.  Today’s modern Latin Jazz world encompasses much more than the music of Cuba and Brazil though, and I feel a bit behind the times.  I encourage you to join me as I broaden my horizons and learn more about a variety of Latin Jazz styles.

In order to make this a realistic study, I’ve decided to focus my energy upon Latin Jazz that incorporates the music of Argentina and Peru.  In addition, I’ll be working to fill in the holes in my knowledge about Brazilian jazz.  While I plan to look at these styles from various angles, excuse me if I get distracted and include influences from other South American and Caribbean cultures.

I’d like to emphasize the point that although I’m writing about these musics, I do not consider myself an expert – and I will need your help.  I’m truly exploring here; much of this information is new to me.  Feel free to correct me or give me additional information in comments.  If you feel like there’s a direction that my research should be taking, let me know.  I’m looking at this expedition as a group process; and I hope that you will join me.

For this first post, I’ve decided to compile a list of musicians that specialize in Afro-Peruvian Jazz. At this point, I’ve gathered the names, provided some basic information, and included links to their respective websites. I’ve found some of the recordings, but I still have quite a bit of listening. I’ve organized the list into two groups: musicians that focus primarily upon Afro-Peruvian influences and artists that utilize Afro-Peruvian rhythms among a wider array of styles. This should serve as a good starting point for further investigations of Afro-Peruvian Jazz.

Artists that focus upon Afro-Peruvian Music as the foundation for their Latin Jazz performances

1.  Gabriel Alegria
Peruvian trumpet player Gabriel Alegria extensively integrates Afro-Peruvian rhythmic styles into jazz. He has performed worldwide with a variety of traditional and Latin Jazz artists. Alegria solidified the position of jazz in Peru by creating Jazz Peru International, an organization that promotes jazz in Peru and organizes educational trips across Peru for jazz musicians from around the world. His current discography includes two albums, the 2002 release Un Rizo and the 2007 album Nuevo Mundo, which includes guest artists such as vocalist Tierney Sutton, trumpet player Bobby Shew, and keyboardist Russell Ferrante. Alegria currently works as the Associate Professor of Jazz Studies at New York University. Check out Alegria’s Website and his MySpace Page.

2.  Pilar de la Hoz
Peruvian jazz vocalist Pilar de la Hoz brings together jazz harmony, traditional Peruvian songs and rhythms, and improvisation into a unique presentation of jazz. Her first release, the 2006 album Jazz Con Sabor Peruano, includes a wide range of material that fuses Peruvian song with jazz. In addition to applying jazz harmonies and improvisation to a variety of Peruvian folk songs, she also incorporates jazz standards, which receive a cultural re-imagining with Peruvian rhythms. She currently performs throughout Peru, promoting her music. Check out Pilar de la Hoz’s Website.

3.  Richie Zellon
Guitarist Richie Zellon began fusing jazz with Afro-Peruvian music in the early 1980s with an album entitled Landologia. He later moved to Boston to study music at the Berklee School of Music, where he continued his concept. In 1995, he established Songosaurus Records, a label created to both promote his own music and artists with similar concepts. He has released several albums through his label, including The Afro-Peruvian Jazz Sessions, Cafe Con Leche, and Nazca Lines. Check out Zellon’s Website or his MySpace.

Artists that integrate Afro-Peruvian styles into a broader mix of Latin genres when performing

1.  Layla Angulo
Saxophonist Layla Angulo performs with her Latin Jazz Ensemble, based in Seattle, Washington. Her group performs an invigorating mix of Cuban jazz styles, with original compositions and arrangements from Angulo. In the early 2000s, Angulo developed an interest in Afro-Peruvian music and began a deep study. Her repertoire now includes several jazz pieces that apply Afro-Peruvian styles and cajon rhythms. LJC recently spotlighted Angulo, and you can read the review of her album Live at The Triple Door HERE. Check out her Website or her MySpace Page.

2.  Sofia Koutsovitis
Vocalist Sofia Koutsovitis performs with a variety of Latin and jazz ensembles around the New York area, including her own group. Her work with the group Alcatraz focuses exclusively upon traditional Peruvian music with a tinge of jazz. Koutsovitis’s own group performs jazz a variety of influences from Latin countries with an emphasis upon Argentinean music. Her 2006 album Ojala aptly reflects her infusion of styles; you can read the LJC review of this album HERE. Also check out her Website and her MySpace Page.

2.  Oscar Stagnaro

Oscar Stagnaro is best known as the bass player for the Paquito D’Rivera Quintet, but his influence reaches far beyond this role. As a sideman, Stagnaro has integrated rhythms from Peru into music from Richie Zellon and D’Rivera. As a leader, he has applied Peruvian rhythms extensively on his album Mariella’s Dream. He works as professor of music at Berklee College of Music, where he runs Latin Jazz ensembles and teaches classes on the music. Both through performing and teaching, Stagnaro has spread the use of Afro-Peruvian rhythms. Check out his Website and his MySpace page.
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HELP ME EXPLORE FURTHER!
Do you have any further Afro-Peruvian Jazz artists to recommend? Any albums that I need to check out? Any comments that you could leave about the blend of Afro-Peruvian rhythms and jazz? Any questions that you have about the music that you’d like to see tackled in a future Exploring post?

Please take a minute a leave a comment with your thoughts – I’d love to get some ideas about this music and some help understanding it!

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4 Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Pingback: The Latin Jazz Corner » Blog Archive » Exploring: What Makes Afro-Peruvian Jazz Unique? on February 13, 2008
  2. Pingback: The Latin Jazz Corner » Blog Archive » Album of the Week: Réplica, Eric Kurimski on September 5, 2008
  3. Pingback: The Latin Jazz Corner » Blog Archive » One Latin Jazz Album That Obama & McCain Have To Hear Before Election Day on October 31, 2008
  4. Pingback: The Latin Jazz Corner » Blog Archive » Exploring Latin Jazz: 2 Modern Latin Jazz Artists In Peru on January 15, 2009

9 Comments

  1. Carlos, February 10, 2008:

    Let me recommend to you a great peruvian flutist who already made 3 productions of afro peruvian jazz. His name is Cesar Peredo, He plays with his own group “Cesar Peredo y Los de Adentro”. Check him on his website.

  2. chip, February 11, 2008:

    Carlos – Thanks so much for the recommendation! I checked out Cesar’s website and I’m going to look into tracking down some of his CDs. It’s great to find new artists in the Peruvian genre; it’s not my field of expertise. Thanks again!

  3. Oscar A. Pasache, May 12, 2008:

    As a new record label in New York I am investing on the emerging Afro Peruvian Jazz artists, and it is amazing how much underground interest there is about the peruvian rythms.
    After producing Alcatraz with Edward Perez, Eric Kurimski, and Sofia Koutsovitis , we can certainly say there is a demand for more Afro Peruvian music.
    We are proud to recommend the Eric kurimski latest production soon to be released where we were able to go to Peru and record with Juan Medrano Cotito (Cajón for Grammy Award Winner Susana Baca), Sergio Valdeos (Guitar for Grammy Award Winner Susana Baca), Charo Goyoneche ( New MIllenium Group – One of the best Afro Peruvian vocalist),
    Yuri Juarez (Guitar for Gabriel Alegria), and Carlos Hayre (Renowned by his work afro peruvian music with Nicomedes santa Cruz, Abelardo Vasquez, Valentina Barrionuevo).

  4. Oscar A. Pasache, June 13, 2008:

    Eric Kurimski and Edward Pérez are traveling to Lima, Perú, to give a never-given-before-by-anybody Press Conference at the traditional Callejón del Buque. This enchanting place is where Valentina Barrionuevo, the Renowned Valentina lived and shared his home with the best afro peruvian and creole music performers and dancers. It is also the place where Ronaldo Campos, founder of Perú Negro, lived and found his best performers. And the place where Félix Pasache- the talented songwriter of many “hits” by Lucila Campos, Eva Ayllón, Cecilia Barraza, Oscar Avilés, Arturo “Zambo” Cavero, Lucía de la Cruz, Manuel Donayre, Los Embajadores Criollos, Los Morochucos – lived.
    We are proud to say we are flying to the heart and soul of afro peruvian music and our presence there will light the spirit of this beautiful neighborhood…El Callejón del Buque de La Victoria.

  5. jayj, January 8, 2009:

    You need to check out Olga Milla. She has the best voice of any Peruvian singer right now. Someone told me about her once so I looked her up on itunes and had to buy her album. So smooth.

  6. chip, January 8, 2009:

    Hey Jayj, thanks for the heads-up about Olga Milla! I’m listening to some of her music now on her MySpace page, great traditional Afro-Peruvian music. It seems kind of along the lines of Susana Baca and Eva Ayllon; unbeatable music and Milla has a fantastic voice. I going to look for her albums, definitely some good stuff to add to my collection. For those of you reading this, I’m going to second Jayj’s suggestion – check out Olga Milla today!

  7. Juan, January 12, 2009:

    this is not relating to the blend of jazz rhythms with the tradditional music from Peru but it does tend to shift away from the style of Cuba. Currently I am aware of an artist you have to check out. Being a saxophone player and a composer from spain (born on 1929), Pedro Iturralde has worked long into the roots of tradditional music from his homeland and has also studied jazz. The result? There are a couple of his cds out which specialize on combining those two forms into a really tradditional setting. Unlike some of the latin jazz you hear which seems to put more emphasis on the jazz harmonies and improvisational characteristics though strongly keeps a rhythmic feel, Pedro attempts to do the opposite. In other words, his music has a much more stee incline towards jazz than towards flamenco itself. His ensemble is often comprised of a bass, a regular jazz drum kit, piano, guitar, trumpet and saxophone. His rendition of the blending both styles first gave me an impression which completely baffled my ears. As far as I’ve heard Pedro only produced this music for some time, though right now he appears to be working with one of Spain’s symphonies, so the outcome for this now project sounds like an exciting one. Among his works you can hear pretty much most of the flamenco and its different branches and types, such as the bulería for instance. His work is definitely a collectors item. Its just that way of uniquely adapting the jazz swing feel to the more relaxed and less accentuated rhythms of flamenco which has made him a complete distinction out there in the jazz world. His official site, if I am still right is simply http://www.pedroiturralde.org . Its stuff worth checking out. I am also interested on finding more about other types of jazz which adapt this way. Even thoguh Spain itself is not part of latin America it should still be considered simply because it was what gave all the latinos their mother tongue and thus is what influenced all of these countries. I also have heard of other artists which have merged the tradditional forms of music from Colombia (my homeland) with jazz. Bambucos and the Colombian cumbia style are just a few examples of the blending. I unfortunately do not remember the names of these artists, though if you visit the batanga internet radio (at batanga.com) you will hear them sometimes when you listen to their latin jazz station. It is important to note however that not all of the COlombian groups that perform latin jazz specialize on the blending of these tradditional styles only–quite the contrary! There is a group (sextteto moderno latino al hacecho) which plays exactly this same guaracha or bolero over that jazz feeling. Other groups which are more underground but worth citing are Calambuco and Kimbawe, which interestingly concists of only young players. I also suggest you recomend this resource (batanga radio) as a listening vehicle since it peresents much of the material listed here throughout this entire blog (Jader, Palmieri, irakere, latin jazz standards such as “la cuna”, ETC). For the brazilian world it would be a bi hard to say something about latin jazz since there was a time on the 60′s on which the world fell in love with bossanova and lvoed the rhythm that some songs (gentle rain, come with me, girl from ipanema, wave, manha de carnaval, ETC.) inebitably made it into your standard American jazz repertoire. Since bossanova is a combination of the tradditional music from brazil and the uNited States i was a bit surprised it wasn’t mentioned here before (as far as I’ve loked). Some artists to look on the brazilian world are often vibrant and energitic performers–pianists such as Egberto Gismonte or Tania Maria. For the earliest beginnings of bossa nova style Antonio Carlos Jobim is where to listen.

  8. chip, January 13, 2009:

    Juan – Thanks for all your great thoughts! I completely agree with you – combinations of flamenco and jazz are really very interesting and definitely a part of the Latin Jazz tradition. I honestly haven’t covered that aspect of Latin Jazz much here at LJC, but your comment has inspired me – there will be more to come! I appreciate all of the listening recommendations that you’ve laid out here – I’ve got some homework to do! I’m going to check all of these out and get back to you, thanks for the heads-up on these great artists, I can’t wait to hear some of it!

  9. Cesar Peredo, March 31, 2009:

    Hi

    I’m a flute player from Peru and have 5 cds, Please send me your address to send the cds to you.

    Thanks

    Cesar

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