Home > Susana Baca, the spirit of the afro-peruvian music
Baca has contributed much to its international popularity, which began in 1995 with the release of the compilation CD The Soul of Black Peru. The album, which features the Baca song "Maria Lando", was released by the Luaka Bop record label, which belongs to ex-Talking Heads front man David Byrne. Baca grew up in a coastal fishing village Chorrillos, a district of the Lima Province of Peru, and part of greater Lima. Her music is a mixture of traditional and contemporary. Her backing band features indigenous Peruvian instruments such as the cajon ("wooden box", whose origins lie in an upturned fruit crate), guapeo (clay pot), and quijada (jawbone of a burro), as well as acoustic guitar and double boss. Although many of her songs are based on traditional forms such as the lando or vals, she also incorporates elements of Cuban and Brazilian music. With her husband, Bolivian musicologist Ricardo Pereyra, Baca founded the Instituto Negrocontinuo (Black Continuum Institute) in her seafront home in Chorrillos. It fosters the collection, preservation, and creation of Afro-Peruvian culture, music, and dance. In 2002, Susana Baca won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Folk Album, for her Lamento Negro CD. The recordings were found in Cuba and were released by Tumi Music. Her last album, Espiritu Vivo, brings to life the rich culture of black Peru with such bubbly songs as "Caracunde" and the reflective "Si Me Quitaran." Using a combination of native hand percussion and common instruments (guitars and organ), this album features a mixture of exotic flavors and readily identifiable sounds.| Susana Baca, the spirit of the afro-peruvian music |