Peru Negro

For over 35 years, the two-time Grammy-nominated Perú Negro has been reinvigorating Peru’s rich black culture of all over the world via dance and music. Appointed as "Cultural Ambassadors of Black Peru" by the Peruvian government, they became the group to emulate by other bands in this genre. Founded by the late Ronaldo Campos, Perú Negro is now led by his son Rony Campos - who is exploring new routes for the ensemble. While Perú Negro was originally made up of 12 family members, today there are more than 30 individuals involved - many still family- and they have a school for their young group in Lima called Perú Negrito. Just in time to celebrate their latest CD, Zamba Malató (Times Square Records), released on January 22, the ensemble performed at the New York City Center on January 26 as part of their 46-city, three-month tour.

Perú Negro’s live show, which includes a 20-member ensemble, including dancers, band and vocalists, features material from their new album, Zamba Malató (which name refers to an old chant sung by black women as they worked on their daily chores). Starting out with an upbeat ritual dance called “Afro,” the dancers wore tan-colored cloths and danced with little wooden drums and machetes, moving to the pulsating rhythm made possible by the African wooden goblet-shaped hand drum - the djembe. The show started to pick up momentum during the second half when they performed classics such as the party favorite, "Pancha Remolino," and the Peruvians in the audience clapped joyfully and tapped along with their feet.

Lead vocalist in the show as well as the album, Mónica Dueñas, sang the well-known festejo, "Una Negra y un Negro," getting some audience participation by asking the crowd to repeat the lively chorus "Eso no se dice" but she lacks the inner vocal strength of Afro-Peruvian legends like Eva Ayllón and Susana Baca. Right after came another classic, "Toro Mata," made famous worldwide when Celia Cruz recorded it back in 1978. Perú Negro successfully brought this landó (a slower paced and more sensual version of the festejo) back to life. Dressed in stark white colonial-style ruffled outfits, this dance mocks European slave-owner dances that slaves used to observe in the 1500’s in Peru.

The melodic closing song "Bailarás," composed by Allan Phillips, is a more modern take of an Afro-Peruvian song that resuscitates tradition with the kikongo chants - the dialect spoken by many of the slaves in Peru when they first arrived. To sum up the performance, the dancers flooded the stage in different eye-pleasing costumes worn throughout the night. But they should have stopped before the excitement wore off, as the act got too repetitive and tiresome.
Overall, the costumes by Mercedes Campos and Soledad Ysusqui are colorful and theatrical, and the dancing and singing elegantly organized. However, the show is missing the roughness, sweat and soul of what is the essence of black Peru. Instead of giving off powerful vibrations that overflow into the audience, the performance is too neat and tidy.

(Published in NYRemezcla.com)

The Passion of Antonio El Pipa

There is something mystical about flamenco. Federico García Lorca described it well by calling it, "…purely Andalusian singing, which already existed in germ in our region before the Gypsies arrived to it. It comes from Gypsy races, crossing through the cemetery of years and the depths of withered winds. It comes from the first cry and the first kiss…it is the soul of our soul."

The 6th Annual New York Flamenco Festival brought this marvel from southern Spain to New York, with various events throughout the city from January 19th through February 19th. I had the honor to attend a talk with dance legend, Antonio El Pipa, and then see his company perform at New York City Center.

During the talk, I had the fortune of sitting right across from "El Pipa" (who got his name from his grandfather who was perpetually smoking a pipe). He is a very charming man with a peaceful aura, but with a contradictory passion radiating from his light blue eyes. It’s like being in the calm before the storm – you are almost waiting for him to break out and dance at any minute.

Dressed in a black velour sweat suit and Puma sneakers, and sporting neatly groomed sideburns, he sat cross-legged and relaxed in his chair while he talked in Spanish about his life as a Gypsy in Jerez de la Frontera (located between Cadíz and Sevilla) in Andalusia.

"Jerez es una de las ciudades más importantes de flamenco," he began. "Es diferente de otras ciudades."

He explained that where he is from, dancing and singing are as normal as playing fútbol for a kid anywhere else. Gypsy families, as well as non-Gypsy families in Andalusia, use flamenco to celebrate at any gathering.

"En mi familia, todos hemos bailado…Yo no decidí ser artista. Cuando me di cuenta, ya era artista. Ya no puedo vivir sin mi trabajo…Bailaría mas si ganaría la loteria porque compraría un teatro," he said.

When someone asked him about an unforgettable experience he’d had on the stage, he talked about how his aunt, renowned deep-throated Juana la del Pipa, sang with such gusto and fervor that it actually paralyzed him – so much that he brought her to the middle of the stage and left the dancing to her.

The performance by Compañia Antonio El Pipa on the 19th was just as captivating as the dancer himself. Antonio choreographed and directed the production, which was entitled, "De Tablao," and it portrayed just that. Tablao flamenco is the traditional singing and dancing in cafés that has been popular in Andalusia for centuries.

Antonio’s set was simple – a few tables and chairs for the guitarists and dancers, and a backdrop of thin wooden curtains with sketches of palmas, dancers, roses…the standard elements of flamenco. Simplicity is key for tablao -- it is the dance that takes center stage.

The dances consisted of jaleos, bulerías, tarantos, romeras, and soleás, and were performed by a superb cast. Guest dancer Concha Vargas danced elegantly in her beautifully ruffled and colorful dresses, alongside Antonio El Pipa, while Juana la del Pipa’s hoarse and chilling voice emanated throughout the entire space, just as her nephew had described it.

Respected Mariana Cornejo also made a guest appearance, and sang a lively and extremely brisk-paced piece that made the audience laugh, even though the lyrics could were not easily decipherable. Guitar players Pascual de Lorca and Juan Moneo were essential to the performance, and Joaquín Flores’s palmas (clapping) continually gave life to the show.

The costumes were beautiful and well thought out. The older women usually wore more simple clothes, resembling real life in Jerez, while the younger ones were in a variety of form-fitting ruffled dresses. The men were all in black pants and vests with white shirts, except for Antonio, who stood out in fancier black and even purple suits.

Antonio was right when he told us that flamenco was not always a sad form of expression. While dancing, he looked like he could not have his smile wiped away. In his fitted suit and slightly high-heeled boots, he danced as passionately as he spoke about his love – flamenco. Actually, his passion seemed to overflow at the end, because he didn’t want to leave the stage. He came back for not two, not three, but four rounds of applause. The fourth time he ran and jumped onto the stage, making exaggerated hand gestures and facial expressions as he bowed. I think he overdid the passion just a little.

Antonio had said that a real artist is one who makes the public forget their problems. I can say that I did - I even got a laugh in at the end.

(Published in NYRemezcla.com)

Pilar Rioja: Queen of Flamenco

Elegant, charming and like good wine, aged to perfection – this Rioja not only leaves you wanting more, she simultaneously ignites your soul. Flamenco dancer Pilar Rioja, is now in her 70’s, and is still as young-looking, fit, and mesmerizing as ever. She was currently performing her 32nd season at El Repertorio Español until September 11th, and this was also the beginning of her first farewell tour to New York.

From Torreón, Mexico, and born to parents from Spain, Pilar started to dance soon after she learned how to walk. It was in Spain where she combined modern, ballet, and classical dance with traditional Spanish dance, such as flamenco. One can see these amalgamations and feel the strength of her diversity while experiencing one of her performances.

On Saturday, August 27th she gave a stellar performance. Her first dance was a guajira of Cuban origin, interpreted in a flamenco style, by using melodic movements of a fan (abaniqueo). This act was the first glance she gave the audience of her charm as her smile peeked through from behind the big alabaster fan.

She looked angelic in her white ruffled dress, but her erect torso and intricate footwork leaves you wondering what she’s up to next. All of her dances were accompanied by her three guitarists, José Luis Negrete, Antonio Muñoz, and Arturo Martínez, and two singers, Alfonso Cid and David Castellano, who added the heart-wrenching flamenco cry (jaleo) to the performance.

The farruca was her next dance. This time, Pilar came out in an outfit of black fitted matador pants and a button down white shirt, as this type of dance is originally supposed to be for men. The dance contained a lot of strong footwork (zapateado) and she also added some contrasting feminine arm movements which was evidence of her creativity she adds to Spanish dance.

The dance of Doña Rosita la Soltera, based on a story by Federico García Lorca of a woman who has been left a spinster because she has become too old to marry, was mood altering. Somehow she mixed the emotions of happiness, fear, sadness and anger with the use of a white veil, precise facial expressions and a slow haunting rhythm aided by the sound of a tapping cane (palo seco). Her finale was just as fiery and spectacular as her red ruffled-train dress which accentuated her still youthful figure. It was here that she combined bulerías (jovial), and soleares (sad) as well as other bits of improvisation. During this dance, her personality exploded. She was elegant yet sensuous, reserved yet uninhibited and undeniably festive. Her stirring hip movements towards the end both surprised and awed the audience.

Seeing her at El Repertorio Español was worth every penny, because the intimate theater allows you to feel the vigor emanating from her, and almost feel what she is feeling. The audience could not help but applaud spontaneously and cheer loudly at her powerful movements throughout the show. Pilar has performed all over Latin America, and Europe, and is respected all over the world as one of the greatest teachers of Spanish dance. She currently teaches at her own academy in Mexico City.

(Published in NYRemezcla.com)