“Exploring Peru”

Collaborator Katia Valdeos, a native of Lima, Peru, has introduced the World Nation group to music of the mountains, deserts, valleys, jungles and coastal plains of Peru.  For their Exploring Peru collection, they are recording Afro-Peruvian zamacueca and lando; waltz and marinera from the coast; huayno and carnaval from the Andes; and music from the rainforest.

When Haring visited Peru, she was fortunate to meet and talk with Afro-Peruvian singer Lucilla Campos after one of her concerts in Lima.  Campos, a source of inspiration for Haring, is one of their favorite Peruvian singers.  They returned from Peru with several Peruvian instruments for the World Nation group – el cajon, an Afro-Peruvian box drum; la quijada, also known as the “donkey’s jaw;” and la cajita.

With the group, Katia often plays la cajita, a small box hung around her neck.  She plays the cajita by tapping it with a special stick while simultaneously opening and closing the top in time to the music.