“Afro-Peruvian Rhythms” CD Review

The Peruvian folk ensemble “De Rompe y Raja” highlights the roots of Peruvian music in the album “Afro-Peruvian Rhythms”.

This album is born from the soundtrack of “A Zest for Life” – an Afro-Peruvian dance documentary directed by Eve. A. Ma for Palomino Productions. You can view my video of this album review at the bottom of this blog.

“De Rompe y Raja ” is composed primarily of Peruvians who have adopted the San Francisco Bay Area in the United States as their home. The Group has participated in the prestigious San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival and performed in venues from California to Florida.

The album includes the special participation of Lalo Izquierdo. He is a respected percussionist, dancer choreographer, and folklorist. Lalo instructed the musicians and also performs in four of the tracks. Jorge Luis Jasso, one of Peru’s best-known criollo singer-songwriters, is the lead vocalist in two of the album tracks.

What I Like About “Afro-Peruvian Rhythms”

• The album has a good collection of Afro-Peruvian rhythms and songs. They originated from the documentary “A Zest for Life”.
• True to the Afro-Peruvian folklore, they use Peruvian folk instruments. These include the “cajón”, “quijada de burro”, and the “cajita”.
• My favorite song has to be the classic “Toro Mata” – which as a rich history.

This song is said to have political significance from the time of Peruvian independence from Spain. In the song, Spain is represented by the killed bull. However, “Toro Mata” has also been given other interpretations. Initially “Toro Mata” was its own musical genre. This dates back to the time slaves lived in the “Cañete” valley in Peru. The song takes shape when in 1930 Rosa Mercedes Ayarza de Morales gathers and edits a version of “Toro Mata” similar to the current popular version.

There were several versions of “Toro Mata”. The version by Caitro Soto in the early 1970’s is one of the most popular. I learned about “Toro Mata” like many of you, though the Salsa version performed by Salsa Queen Celia Cruz. The song was included in her 1st collaboration with Johnny Pacheco for Fania’s “Celia & Johnny”.

Note: You can read my blog on the album “Celia & Johnny” HERE.

Suggestions on “Afro-Peruvian Rhythms”

• Recording quality is acceptable, but good enough to enjoy the recording.
• The last song is a cajon demonstration by Lalo Izquierdo, which is surely great to watch in the documentary, but less than exciting to listen without the video.

My Recommendation About “Afro-Peruvian Rhythms”

I like “Afro Peruvian Rhythms” as a nice album to get a taste for authentic Afro-Peruvian music. It serves as a great folk album to add to your Latin music collection.

Video of My Review of “Afro-Peruvian Rythms”