[robroyjazz]

Hi good people. I just found out that I may be going to Peru in late March, 2012. I take travel very seriously. I think I have food and alcohol covered. I assume local wines are similar to Chilian reds.

I will probably take the Vento sopranino with that insanely expensive mouthpiece and #3 bflat clarinet reeds. So now, dear scholars, how do I do prepare for this experience? I started downloading Peruvian music. It's good. So far so good.

I've always been attracted to that wooden flute sound and that aggressive percussion. A lot of people play together with layered music. Can I find New Orleans music making style somewhere here? Do Peruvians second line? Is there a brick and mortar place in Peru that is devoted to music of the ancient cultures? Are there people similar to gypsies in Spain who make music?

What do I do now, other than buying every glossy tourist DK book available and start saving for this damn trip?

 

[Pete Thomas]

Can I find New Orleans music making style somewhere here? Do Peruvians second line? Is there a brick and mortar place in Peru that is devoted to music of the ancient cultures? Are there people similar to gypsies in Spain who make music?

As is the case in New Orleans (and in Spain re: Flamenco), the local music has become quite commercialised, to sniff out some real authenticity you will need to look very hard. I managed to hear some truly great music, drummers playing the absolute funkiest of stuff, but they all seems to be selling the same CD of a "generic" band playing Guantanamera with their own name on the cover. Very sad. I did manage to video some of the music I heard though, take a video or a recorder but if you do record them ask permission and tip them.

If you take your sopranino, you'll probably find it easier to talk to and make friends with the musicians, but it's very worth while learning some of the language before you go. And Quecha is likely to be more useful than Spanish in many regions.

I spent some time in Cuzco and wandering around the Andes. Cuzco is a fine place to start (it was the Incas' capital) and I found a really nice quena (flute) there, and a tiny workshop where they are made. Avoid the tourist shop and market place percussion and flutes. If you are going to Cuzco I'll try to dig out the address of the workshop, it was a tiny little place in the backstreets.

 

[robroyjazz]

Pete, please see if you can find that address. My possible school trip has mixed blessings of seeing the high school kids learning an interesting body of knowledge from a good teacher (and being rear guard on the journeys) but we are confined to a schedule. We do go to Cuzco. The only other school trip that I did was Spain a year ago. We saw the typical Flamenco show in a theater that couldn't have changed in past 50 years but we also went to a gypsy presentation of a Flamenco presentation in a cave that was a sort of very small narrow club the night before. This was an unplanned option organized one afternoon. The presenters were one family from grandmother down to two of the younger girls who appeared to soon becoming part of the family. That was special. I did find authentic Flamenco recordings. Re: Cuzco. I'll find the time if you find the place. Now I'm off to learn more about Quecha and quenas.

 

[Jazz House]

I lived in Peru for a while. Check out CDs by Gabriel Alegria. He's a trumpeter and his music is a nice fusion of jazz with some traditional peruvian harmonies. And while you're in Lima go to Dos de Mayo. Be careful and watchful while you're there (it's not the safest part of Lima). It's a whole section of Lima with like a hundred music stores all in the same place - a great way to spend a day or eight. Have fun!

 

[bjornblomberg]

According to my peruvian musician friends, the saxophone is highly regarded in peruvian music, and there is a lot of saxophones used in Peruvian popular music. Afro-peruvian music is particularly interesting with a lot of 6/8 grooves. I think your trip will be magnificent. Good luck!

 

[Pete Thomas]

Pete, please see if you can find that address.

I seem to have two addresses, but same street no.

Business card says: Cirilo Orccosupa (his name I presume)

and then:

Zetas 344 santo Domingo, Cusco, Peru

The Quena "instruction manual" says:

Musical Instruments "El Triunfo"
Of: Dina Veli

Street Triunfo No344
(Tel:084-244254)
Cusco, Peru

It's actually off the street in a courtyard:

 

[Mattutopia]

For Afro-Peruvian music check out their most famous musician, Susana Baca: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susana_Baca

She's been a favourite singer of mine for years now (really great music) and has also recently been made the political "Minister for Culture" in Peru!

 

[flutulip]

I found this post when I was in Cusco, so I went to the Triunfo St. address. I had trouble finding the street (it said Triunfo St. on the map, but not on the actual street). There was a touristy place nearby, and I thought the more expensive flutes looked like a reasonably nice wood, so I bought one. It was 70 sols -- $28. The lady who owned the shop said the mouthpiece is bone. It looks very much like the flute with the white mouthpiece in the photo above. I have no problem producing a nice big sound on it.

I may have lost my chance to choose from a really big selection. The market near the train station at Aguas Calientes (Macchu Pichu) has a HUGE flute stall right in the middle. They must have had 1,000 flutes there! They looked like really nice wood, and were of all sizes. In addition to the guy watching the stall, there was another guy hanging around (maybe from the next stall) who was playing the flutes (practicing to be in a band?) and was quite good. I bet he would have given me a lesson.