AfroAndina

This new album presents favorite Christmas songs from around the world in a Latin American (and particularly Peruvian) musical perspective, and features the region’s traditional instruments. Afroandina Christmas has no precedent in the recording industry, as its originality and freshness allow the listener to enjoy this music beyond the Holiday Season.

Listen to “Silent Night,” “Little Drummer Boy,” “The Little Savanna Donkey” (El Burrito Sabanero) as you never have before, performed by charming Zampoña and Kena (pan flutes of the Andes,) acoustic Spanish guitar and Charango, all played to an Afro-Peruvian beat.

The traditional instruments at the center of the compositions are accompanied by violin, accordion, bass and keyboards, showcasing Andean styles such as Wayno, Sikuri (music for dialoguing panpipes) and the Saya, an Afro-influenced dance. From the coast of Peru we are introduced to Festejo, Zamacueca, Panalivio and the Creole Waltz. Other styles represented on the CD find their origins in South American Folklore such as the Argentinean Zamba and Chacarera, Joropo from Venezuela and the Tropical Groove. These traditional styles are further enhanced by New Age and Pop music influences and at times contrast with Baroque and Renaissance musical interpretations. The fusion of such diverse elements is accomplished through the vision and talent of two renowned Peruvian musicians: Jose Luis Madueño and Ricardo Silva.

Jose Luis Madueño was twice runner-up (2000 and 2002) for best composer at the “Festival de Jazz de La Habana” in Cuba. This international festival, which is held every other year, showcases the very best Jazz talents from the Americas and is by invitation only. The prize for best composer, the “Ibero-American Prize of Latin Jazz,” is presented by Sociedad General de Autores y Editores (SGAE,) the Spanish equivalent of BMI and ASCAP in the United States. Jose Luis is the founder of musical groups “Wayruro” and “Chilcano,” undoubtedly the best fusion of Peruvian music and Jazz to evolve from this region. A sensitive and versatile acoustic and electric pianist, and an avid student of world music and its roots, he is able to mix diverse styles with surprising results. Jose Luis is a source of inspiration for present and future generations of musicians in Lima, Peru where he spends part of his time teaching theory and performance to seasoned professionals and beginners alike.

Ricardo Silva, on the other hand, is a folklorist with Afro and Andean roots. Proudly “Mestizo” (of mixed race,) he has dedicated his career to Andean Music, both indigenous and contemporary, and has performed and recorded with various highly regarded artists and producers from around the world. He is the founder of the group “Del Pueblo y Del Barrio” (From the People and the Neighborhood) a group renowned in their home country for pioneering what is now commonly referred to as Latin Rock. When not in the studio or performing, Ricardo may be found teaching the dance of Musica Negra (Afro-Peruvian) and traditional instruments to young Inca artists.

The musicians collaborating on this recording with Madueño and Silva are among the finest in Peru. It was recorded and mastered in some of the best studios in Lima to assure a quality consistent with international music industry standards. For Christmas 2003, Afroandina Christmas was pre-released in Peru along with a video clip for television featuring the ever-popular “Feliz Navidad.” The video was filmed in Matute, Cerro San Cristobal and the Pantanos De Villa, Peru and it includes the participation of Peru’s best-known folkloric dance group “Asi Es Mi Peru.”

We created this project not only to celebrate the music of the Holiday Season, but also to touch the lives of children throughout the world. For each CD sold, a portion of the proceeds is contributed to a non-profit organization that provides services to needy children.