It’s African-Peruvian Culture day! June 4th was chosen in 2006 to celebrate this unique aspect of Peruvian culture due to it being the birthday of late African-Peruvian icon Nicomedas Santa Cruz. A popular musician, Santa Cruz helped to raise recognition for the distinct and vibrant aspects of African culture in Peru in the late 1950’s and early 60’s. He is pictured below (source: wikipedia) People from Africa first came to Peru in the 16th century along with the Spanish conquistadors. Initially acting as personal servants and bodyguards to Spanish soldiers, right at the outset of the conquest, they were eventually trafficked in laarge numbers to replace indigenous slaves, the populations of which had been decimated by disease as well as overworking. Today as many as 17% of Peruvians are of African descent, most of whom live around the capital of Lima. There is a particular concentration of African-Peruvians around the areas of Cañete and Chincha on the coast to the south of Lima, a region that was originally requisitioned for labour-intensive cotton plantations. As well as having a strong influence upon Peruvian arts, dance, science, religion and food (try anticuchos, Picarones or the delicious Tacu-Tacu, for example), perhaps the most striking aspect of African-Peruvian culture is its beautiful, sensual music and dance, an important aspect of Musica Criolla. Originating from the traditions of slave communities, Musica Criolla developed to incorporate Spanish and Andean traditions. This somber music genre, remnant of similar styles in the Carribean, is characterised by the striking rhythm of percussion instruments such as the cajón (a box shaped drum struck with the palm of the hand between the knees) and the quijada de burro (a donkeys jawbone, rattled together in the palm of the hand) combined with rich Spanish guitar styles. The strong African influence on Musica
It’s African-Peruvian Culture day! June 4th was chosen in 2006 to celebrate this unique aspect of Peruvian culture due to it being the birthday of late African-Peruvian icon Nicomedas Santa Cruz. A popular musician, Santa Cruz helped to raise recognition for the distinct and vibrant aspects of African culture in…
UPDATE 30/05/2013:Peter now has a matching donor who will equal every donation you make, up until the funding target of $20,000 is reached. This means your donations going forward effectively double in value! So we have a truly realistic expectation of raising the needed funds. Have you ever dreamed of unraveling Inca mysteries in the Peruvian Andes? Supporting a search for answers in a still relatively unexplored region? Being a part of a history in the making? This may well be your chance! Explorer, scholar, writer and photographer Peter Frost will be leading a new expedition to explore Peru’s remote Vilcabamba region, known as the last stronghold of the Inca Empire, to confirm the existence of several unreported Inca sites... and he’s asking for your help! Peter has been visiting and exploring this rugged region of the high rainforest for some time now. His initial expedition to Vilcabamba in 2001 and 2002 with National Geographic eventually led to the discovery and investigation of a new Inca site, Qoriwayrachina. It was actually a few years earlier when he first spotted the clues that led him to this discovery while on a trek with some travellers who he was guiding. Following this expedition, with some more understanding of the Inca investment in the region, but still with several unanswered questions, Peter revisited several times on reconnaissance, exploring, surveying, and mapping the territory to prepare for this upcoming project. With a better understanding and knowledge of the difficult territory, riddled with deep canyons and high-altitude snow-capped peaks, Peter plans to embark on an intensive campaign to follow up on leads discovered over his years of research. With your help, Peter and his team can lay the groundwork for a major new phase of investigation into the cultural and historical landscape of this Inca heartland.
UPDATE 30/05/2013:Peter now has a matching donor who will equal every donation you make, up until the funding target of $20,000 is reached. This means your donations going forward effectively double in value! So we have a truly realistic expectation of raising the needed funds. Have you ever dreamed of…
Each year on days leading up to the full moon before Corpus Christi, the remote Sinakara Valley on the north face of Ausungate transforms from a desolate, icy no-mans-land to the final destination of a rigorous pilgrimage and the site of a festival known as Qoyllur Riti. As many as 50,000 people take part in the world-renowned pilgrimage, hiking many miles to reach this valley located at almost 15,000 feet above sea level and gathering on the mountain slopes to take part in the celebrations. This year the festival’s main events will take place on May 27th. Qoyllur Riti, like many other Andean festivals, is a syncretism of Catholicism and traditional Andean beliefs. The Church's official stance is that the history of the celebration dates back to 1780 when an image of of a small mestizo boy eventually revealed himself to be Jesus Christ to a young Andean child in the area. However, the Andean people who preserve this tradition had been doing so for many years before the invasion of the Spanish and Catholicism, so for the local decendents of the indigenous population, the festival was oringinally a celebration of the stars. To this day, Qoyllur Riti combines and celebrates both the Catholic and Indigenous aspects. The festival takes place during a time period when the Pleiades constellation disappears and reappears in the Southern Hemisphere, signaling the transition to the upcoming harvest. As is the case with many celebrations throughout the Andean region, images of Christ,crosses and other Christian symbols and beliefs mix with pre-columbian traditions, music, dance, and clothing to create these unique, amazing celebrations. Families of pilgrims from all over Peru make the trek to this sacred ground to pray for good health, a new car, a son, or whatever it is they would like to come
Each year on days leading up to the full moon before Corpus Christi, the remote Sinakara Valley on the north face of Ausungate transforms from a desolate, icy no-mans-land to the final destination of a rigorous pilgrimage and the site of a festival known as Qoyllur Riti. As many as…
Lima Art tour with Sculptor Patricia Olguin Long have women struggled to discover and understand their relationships with their faith, distinguishing their roles, their responsibilities, and their rights as members of their respective religious communities. Peruvian artist, Patricia Olguín, has experienced this very search for identity, and in her most recent sculptural series “ Son tus rosas un camino, y las mías son tu lecho,” Olguín represents her perception of Christianity, the role of women in this religion in both the past and present, as well as how she identifies with her religion as an individual. Last week, Aracari met with Patricia at a gallery for an informative tour of this deeply symbolic series. Patricia Olguin's art work Patricia has had works on display throughout the world including South Korea, Uruguay, and North America as well as in various galleries in Peru’s capital; perhaps her biggest supporter is the quaint La Galería in San Isidro, where her most recent collection of pieces are on display. Construction of the series began in 2008 when Patricia acquired a new studio in the bohemian district of Barranco, and in 2011, the series came to full completion. Working with a variety of media including resin, silver leaf, transferred images, and several types of wood, Patricia allows the materials to speak for each piece and to complement the sculpted forms. Perhaps the most prominently displayed piece in the collection was Olguín’s Camino de Rosas, or Path of Roses, an 8-foot-tall reinterpretation of a cross. The dense body of the sculpture consists of juxtaposed pieces of mahogany that interlock, with each polar face strategically formed and painted to reflect the masculine and feminine components, as Olguín perceives them. Each part of this grand statue is intentional; with subtle differences like the textures of the pieces of
Lima Art tour with Sculptor Patricia Olguin Long have women struggled to discover and understand their relationships with their faith, distinguishing their roles, their responsibilities, and their rights as members of their respective religious communities. Peruvian artist, Patricia Olguín, has experienced this very search for identity, and in her most…
El Mercado Hotel Cusco Opens El Mercado Tunqui is the newest offering from the same team who brought us the lodge to lodge Salkantay trek, is set to open in Cusco in just a few weeks. Considering our experience of the four lovely lodges on the Salkantay route, which we completed in May 2011 and which many of our guests love, we are very much intrigued by what El Mercado has to offer. Read more on El Mercado. El Mercado's Loaction Located only several blocks from the Plaza de Armas, this hotel occupies what was previously a marketplace, inspiring the name and theme of the new property. “A market is an expression of a town’s culture and traditions, a space where these may be appreciated, fostered and protected,” representatives from El Mercado state as the source of their inspiration. “Visiting a market is an effective way of obtaining a deep and lasting impression of a city, a place where its pulse may be felt.” The hope is to create this type of atmosphere and ambiance in their new hotel, aside from offering a comfortable base in Cusco for those who are embarking on the lodge trek. Facilities & Amenities Each of the 27 rooms, 5 Junior Suites, and 2 Suites are equipped with all of the amenities one would expect from a four-star hotel, including coffee makers, heaters, luxury bath amenities, and high-speed WiFi. The 7 suites, however, also have bathtubs and chimneys, a luxurious invitation for guests to curl up and relax after completing the Salkantay route, or even just after walking around the city. Within the 3-story building there also exists several dining and lounge options in a variety of settings. Enjoy dinner and entertainment in the covered courtyard, wake up to a delightful breakfast and savor a
El Mercado Hotel Cusco Opens El Mercado Tunqui is the newest offering from the same team who brought us the lodge to lodge Salkantay trek, is set to open in Cusco in just a few weeks. Considering our experience of the four lovely lodges on the Salkantay route, which we…
Charity Climb to the Summit of Huascaran If you read our blog article on Living Heart last week and felt moved to help the NGO, then you'll be very impressed to hear what Englishman Luke Blezard is doing to support the charity. Peru's Highest Mountain The 27-year-old has spent the last three years living and working in Lima, Luke will be attempting to summit the highest mountain in Peru and the earth’s tropics, no less, in an astonishing attempt to raise a five-figure sum to support Living Heart's various projects. Mount Huascaran in Huaraz "It was in May 2012 when I first went to Huaraz with my father and his partner that the idea was born," Luke explained to us when we caught up with him in Lima. "The very first moment I saw Mt. Huascaran I knew right there and then that I had to climb it. Why? That’s simple. I have always enjoyed a challenge and have always been of a curious nature, so climbing the highest mountain in Peru to see what the view would be like seemed like a perfect project!" "However, this wasn’t enough, I wanted to do something more. I wanted to do something for Peru as well as for myself. Having thought about the many memories and opportunities that Peru has given me, I wanted to leave something for others and this was what prompted me to start an international charity campaign. Besides supporting a local Andean community my goal is to create hope and inspiration in the children that live there so that they will believe that with hard work and commitment they too can succeed in realizing their dreams and achieving whatever they put their minds to." "Choosing a charity to raise money for can often be a slow, time consuming
Charity Climb to the Summit of Huascaran If you read our blog article on Living Heart last week and felt moved to help the NGO, then you’ll be very impressed to hear what Englishman Luke Blezard is doing to support the charity. Peru’s Highest Mountain The 27-year-old has spent the…
