Festejo Music and Resilient Southerners

Here in costal southern Peru people lost houses, schools, public potable water, waste water systems, soccer stadiums, food, medicine, work, and just about everything after the earthquake. It was terrifying for a lot of children because it happened around 6pm and many parents were on their way home from afternoon work in the fields, so lots of kids were alone when it struck. Folks here are picking things up and starting over, poco a poco. They're even starting to have fiestas again.

This area, Cañete and especially Chincha are famous for Afro-Peruvian music, created by African slaves brought to Peru about 200 years ago. Chincha held an annual festival of Musica Negroide over the weekend and we were able to go and hear a mixture of Festejo, Negroide and Zapateo. The party didn't even get started until well after midnight when the band showed up. Revelers danced Zapateo around a yunsa, a tree, its branches filled with gifts that is cut down as part of the dance. When it falls everyone runs to the tree to collect the loot. We made friends with some fellow party-goers and apparent amateur stand-up comedians who have a vineyard and make their own Pisco, a kind of brandy typical of Peru that was named for the city just south of here. Hopefully, I'll report back about the flavor of their Pisco and grape picking soon!