En vivo en Radio Nacional Perú!

Diogenes Cuenca invited me to play my violin for an upcoming concert in Vilcas Huamán, Ayacucho, July 28. His group, INDIOGENES, will "musicalize" an annual reenactment of a battle between the Chankas and the Incas.

July 23 in the studio of Radio Nacional, Lima, Peru, to promote the festival Vilcas Raymi on July 28. 

From left to right are Martin del Rio, Diogenes Cuenca, the radio host, and Karina Poma (singer). I was a part of this interview but I left my mic to take this picture.

Here we are relaxing with some coffee and sandwiches at an Italian restaurant in San Isidro. Below is Rosa, Siwar, and Dio.

A phenomenal, beautiful couple, Martin and his wife. Both are aMAZing musicians.

Me with Martin

Martin and Dio

And one more for the road! Martin, Karina and me

I bought this LP in 1985 at a music store in Lima, not knowing who these musicians were. It was enough that they were from Puquio, harp with violin. I fell in love with all 6 of their tunes, and for some 30 years I have always wanted to play their music with them. From left to right the musicians are the brothers singer Pedro, violinist Víctor, and harpist Panfilo Huamán. Their father stands to the right.

Thanks to youtube, I found these musicians. Pedro Huamán, also known as Águila de Puquio, is still singing, and I found his music videos on youtube. And his brothers are still playing. Only now, Víctor plays the harp instead of the violin. What a thrill to finally meet them in person. They live in Lurín. Here I am posing with Pedro and Víctor at his harp.

Trying out one of their tunes, Ay Amorcito. What a privilege and honor! 

Dream come true next to Panfilo at the harp.

Now with Víctor at the harp.

Víctor, up close.

Taxi ride from hell. Note to self: Don't call Taxi Satelital to go to Comas. 

 
Just don't.

What a beautiful way to spend a Saturday morning in Lima! In La Victoria, Avenida Canadá 6a cuadra with Antonio Vilchez, dancer afroperuano, teaching children. He used chocolate (4 syllables/beats), plátano (3), leche (2), and pan (1) to teach them different rhythms. 

Then he combined different arm positions with the different rhythms. First he instructed the children himself with his own arms. Then he asked for a volunteer in the group to do the arm signaling. Very clever.
Here we see a brave girl signaling the children with her arm positions.

The parents and siblings of the children in the dance lesson. One family lives in Maryland and are in Lima only for a short time. And their little boy was really good!

I told Antonio that if I had children of my own I would give them over to him!

After lunch, I found Antonio speaking with this woman from Colombia, who also approached him looking to create something new with song, music, and dance. As she explained her musical ideas, we began a jam session that was one of the highlights of my stay in Lima. She belongs to a group called AfricanFlow. She has an absolutely beautiful and unique voice. I hope to see her again before I leave in August.

Miraflores on a very rare sunny day in July!

Out of this world food

My first apartment was just around the corner from this fabulous restaurant, Charlotte, in Barranco.

Going to see Isabel

How I get around in Lima. Taxi!

Buying Isabel some gorgeous flowers.

Visiting with Isabel, wife of my first violin teacher, Máximo Damián. Preparing hot chile pepper paste for our lunch.

Isabel and her eldest son, José María. What a pleasure to have visited with them!

One of the loveliest coffee shops in Lima, Sofá Café

Uchucuta

True to his word, harpist Uchucuta invited me to join him in the sierra for two festivals in which he is contracted to play, along with a violinist. This is Uchucuta from last year, posing behind his new harp.

Uchucuta will be playing with violinist Juan "Ojicha" Caccha de Sondondo for the first festival, and then with Juan's son for the second festival. Both festivals will feature the scissors dance. In particular, one of the fiestas is the Festival of Water, a very important festival in the Andes mountains. I think it involves at one point actual scissors dancing in the mud.

Another side of his harp.

Ojicha at the violin in the red jacket, Querobamba, July 2006.

Here you see Ojicha, the scissors dancer he played for Tragalazo, and Ojicha's son, Juan, with the New York Yankees baseball cap. This was in July 2013.

Hmmm, is there any Flamenco in Lima?

Yeah, baby!

At an art show opening in Barranco, lo and behold some musicians playing some Paris hot jazz a la Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt. Their group is called Le Miner Swing. Violinist is Pedro Tecco. July 5 2013

Met an artist! Kenny Villar Azurín

Walking along the beach homes I met kenny. He is seated at the stoop of the yellow house. He invited me to a number of art gallery openings right in this area. I met some of his friends there.

Con grandes músicos

Con el gran guitarista Riber Oré, Parque de la Exposición, 5 de julio 2013

Con dos grandes figuras en la música andina, Máximo Damián Huamaní y Jaime Guardia, Parque de la Exposición, Lima, 5 de julio 2013. Máximo fue mi primer maestro de violín costumbrista de Ayacucho. Maximo was my first violin teacher 1984-1985.

Bella arquitectura de Barranco