La canción de la semana #1024

...is Desde Que Te Fuiste by Javier Cisneros Rengifo as performed by Alexa Ramírez.

Alexa Janina Ramírez: vocals, cello Víctor Vento: guitar Willy Ortega: guitar David Gómez Herrera: double bass Gino Gamboa: cajón

La canción de la semana #893

...is La quietud de la Huaca by Manongo Mujica featuring the voice of Gabriela Ezeta. This is the closing track of Mujica's concept album Ritual sonoro para ruinas circulares.

Based on the rereading of the famous tale by Jorge Luis Borges "The Circular Ruins", the Peruvian composer, percussionist and painter, Manongo Mujica, takes a new look at some of his great obsessions: the desert on the coast of Peru and the pre-Hispanic ceremonials found there. For years the impressions of these places have mobilized a very personal aesthetic, arising from understanding the desert as a space for inner listening, and the ceremonial centers or huacas, as the representation of a mystery.

La canción de la semana #887

...is Abrígame by Jaque Mate, a 1980s Peruvian duo composed of Jorge "Coco" Tafur and Maryna Pastor. This song, together with other delicious rarities, appears on the compilation Viva el Sábado: Hits de Disco Pop Peruano (1978—1989) (Buh Records, 2023).

La canción de la semana #841

...is Canterurías by Chabuca Granda, here performed by Susana Baca in her Tiny Desk (Home) Concert, at the Babel library and bookstore in Lima, Peru and introduced as “Afro-Peruvian bonus track en Babel”.

Susana Baca: vocals Óscar Huaranga: bass Jonathan Mendoza: acoustic guitar, vocals Alex Quijandría: percussion, vocals Manuel Mejía: percussion, vocals Luis Miguel: percussion Renzo Vignati: electric guitar Juan Carlos: piano, violin

La canción de la semana #798

...is Salvia by Hit La Rosa. This song appears on the the Peruvian band's album Ceres Entrópicos.

La canción de la semana #781

...is Sorongo by Susana Baca, from her new album Palabras Urgentes.

La canción de la semana #762

...is Cumbia Picaflor, from the new album Picaflor by Argentine percussionist and composer Martin Bruhn. From the album's blurb on BandCamp:

Filled with colour and festivity, this new release takes us on a journey to Peru’s Mantaro region and is a heartfelt homage to the Huanca music and culture. Recorded during the first year of the pandemic in Martin’s home studio, it has a beautifully simple, almost Lo-Fi aesthetic to it, which pays tribute to and resembles the original vinyl recordings of the andean region’s huayno orchestras.

La canción de la semana #659

...is La gloria de los tunanteros performed live at JazzFM London by Carolina Araoz Quintet.

Carolina Araoz: vocals, saxophone Chris Kross: guitar Xerach Peñate: cajon Odalys Caro: piano Marta Bautista Serrano: double bass

La canción de la semana #597

...is El rosario de mi madre, composed by the Peruvian cantautor Mario Cavagnaro and made world-famous by the Spanish singer and actress María Dolores Pradera, known as La Gran Señora de la Canción. María Dolores Pradera died in Madrid on 28 May 2018 at the age of 93.

La canción de la semana #574

...is La flor de la canela by Chabuca Granda, beautifully performed by, wait a minute, Flor de Canela. If you happen to be in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 18—20 January 2018, don't miss them!

Flor de Canela

Núria Balaguer: vocals Marta Bautista: bass Xerach Peñate: drums Paula Vegas: keyboards

La canción de la semana #569

..is La Mecedora by Los Compadres del Ande. This track opens ANDINA: Huayno, Carnaval & Cumbia – The Sounds of the Peruvian Andes 1968 to 1978, a compilation of vintage Peruvian music released on Tiger's Milk Records.

La canción de la semana #582

...is Despacito Afro-Peruvian-style, performed by Eva Ayllón — in my view, immensely superior to the original version by Luis Fonsi.

La canción de la semana #541

...is Cunumicita performed by Danitse Palomino. A slightly different version of this song appears on Mirrors, a new album of London dubstep pioneer Mala.

La canción de la semana #505

...is La Pantalla by Peru's Bareto. This song appears on the band's new album, Impredecible.

La canción de la semana #432

...is Quiero que Amanezca by Cumbia All Stars, from the Peruvian band's new album Tigres En Fuga.

La canción de la semana #385

Palomita dónde vas is a traditional yaraví arequipeño song with lyrics of Peruvian poet and revolutionary Mariano Melgar (1790—1815). Here is an interpretation by Sylvia Falcón.

La canción de la semana #355

...is La Fuerza del Sentimiento featuring chanting by Peruvian Shipibo shaman Guillermo Arevalo Valera. This song appears on Black Box, a new album by French guitarist Nicolas Repac.

La canción de la semana #351

...is Me He De Guardar, a song by great Chabuca Granda, performed by Luz Katharine. This song appears on the singer's new album, Eros y tantos, Las flores buenas de Chabuca y Félix.

La canción de la semana #311

This week I'd like to introduce an amazing band from Brooklyn: Chicha Libre! According to the band's website,

Chicha Libre plays a mixture of latin rhythms, surf and psychedelic pop inspired by Peruvian music from Lima and the Amazon. The Brooklyn collective is made up of French, American, Venezuelan and Mexican musicians who mix up covers of Peruvian Chicha with original compositions in French, Spanish and English, re-interpretation of 70's pop classics as well as cumbia versions of pieces by likes of Satie, Love and Wagner. Chicha is originally the name of a corn-based liquor favored by the Incas in pre-colombian days. Chicha is also the name of Peru's particular brand of cumbia first made popular in the late 60's by bands such as Los Destellos, Manzanita, Los Mirlos and Juaneco y su Combo.

Wait, what Wagner? That Wagner. Enjoy The Ride of the Valkyries from Chicha Libre's forthcoming album Canibalismo.

Chicha Libre "The Ride of The Valkyries" por franceculture

La canción de la semana #272

...is Taki Ti Taki performed by Susana Baca. According to Baca,

This is a song from Venezuela, one of the many complex rhythms played by the drummers of Guatuire. Venezuela has a variety of rhythms and musical forms that are very sophisticated... These are songs from the drummers that play to San Juan in June and sing songs in tribute for hours. We share similar roots in Spain and Africa but there are very different nuances that come out. It is a song that spoke to me, "Taki Ti Taki" refers to the rhythm and the adoration of San Juan and we feel it is close to our own culture and a part of the culture of the Americas.

This song appears on her wonderful new album, Afrodiaspora.