Living in Peru : your everyday companion

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

A documentary about the "Diablada" dance will be recorded in Puno, to promote its origins and its traditional value, informed Jose Morales Serruto, representative of Asociacion Nativa Puno. The film is sponsored by the Puno-born businessman Elio Quenta Chalco, who is very interested in the project.

The filming could begin in next January.

"The Diablada is part of our cultural heritage and has a great importance here at this zone. The documentary looks forward to defend our culture, and could be filmed in Puno, Paucarcolla and Yunguyo," said Morales, adding that the film will have original music, so they are looking for local composers, singers, as well as actors.

"We are also searching for a production company in Lima to help us in the final project and to contribute in the commercial distribution of the film inside and outside Peru," added Morales Serruto.

The story of the Diablada will begin at colonial time to present days, and the budget will include shooting and marketing.

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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez fulfilled his dream of performing in his native country, in a virtuoso musical journey that went from classical arias and operettas, to Latin American popular music and pop tunes.

The audience, estimated to be more than 10,000 attendees, packed Callao's soccer stadium, and were captivated by Florez' vocal quality and personal charm, such as his break with  protocol, joking with the audience.

With an impeccable mastery of scene, Florez performed songs like "La Donna è Mobil,e" and "O Sole Mio," but also gave extraordinary renditions of "El dia que me quieras," or "Solamente una vez," among other major tunes from the Latin American songbook.

Magaly Solier, which was introduced by Florez as an artist who is "bringing great pride to Peru," made a great counterpoint to the vocal quality of Flórez in "Citaray," the theme sung in Quechua.

The greatest expectations were directed to the duets with Solier, Suares Vertiz and Gianmarco.

With the accompaniment of the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the Spanish Alvaro Albiach, Florez invited Solier, Suarez Vertiz and Gianmarco to close the evening with the waltz "Contigo Peru,” which is considered the "second national anthem” of this country.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Lima joins today the group of 70 cities that host the largest and funniest art exhibit in the world : eighty cow-canvases from the "cow parade" have invaded Lima's streets.

The exhibit, which pursues the dream of breaking distances between art and people, was inaugurated yesterday in Lima by Mayor Luis Castañeda.

The eighty cows have been decorated by several Peruvian artists, in many cases using genuine Peruvian motif, promoting local art and raising funds for charities.

These peculiar statues will stay until February in their respective chosen locations, and the funds raised after their sale will be sent to Centro Anne Sullivan, Fundación Lima and the NGO Socios en Salud.

These cows are currently spread in certain Lima spots such as  Sáenz Peña park and Chabuca Granda boulevard, in Barranco; Plaza de Armas, in  Downtown Lima; Salazar,  Parque del Amor, Raimondi and Kennedy parks, en Miraflores; Pueblo Libre Central Park and Jockey Plaza Shopping Center (Surco.)

Some of the local personalities that have designed a cow are Gian Marco, Dina Páucar, Damaris, Carlos Galdós, Pochi Marambio, Raúl Romero, Bruno Pinasco, Mauricio Fernandini, Marcelo Wong, Eduardo Tokeshi, Aldo Shiroma, José Antonio Morales, José Miguel Valdivia and Carlos Revilla, among many others.

This exhibition that began ten years ago at Zurich, has been staged at 70 cities around the world, like New York, Buenos Aires, Chicago, London, Paris, Athens, Lisbon and Sao Paulo; it was an idea of Walter Knapp.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

In a simple but significant ceremony, Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez presented a stamp honoring his friend Luciano Pavarotti.

Very moved, the national tenor recalled the moment he met Pavarotti for the first time, and how friendship arose between the two of them.

"In summer 2002 I was in Pesaro, and a friend of mine who knew Pavarotti asked me if I wanted to meet him, and I said yes. I went delighted, along Ernesto Palacio, and Pavarotti was there, waiting for us, somehow sleepy. His Peruvian assistant, his right hand, woke him up. I was very excited to be in front of him," said Juan Diego.

"In a certain moment Pavarotti said he wanted to hear me singing, and I did. It seems he liked it, because he was delighted," Florez recalled.

"Some time afterwards in an interview at El Pais from Spain, Jesus Ruiz Mantilla asked Pavarotti about new talents, and Pavarotti named my name. My sister read the interview and called me. I couldn't believe it," added Juan Diego.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Pianist Stephen Clarke and composer and violinist Marc Sabat will  participate at the 7th International Festival of Classical Contemporary Music Lima 09, organized by the Centro Cultural de España.

The musicians will offer a concert on Tuesday, November 10th at Centro Cultural de España, and on Wednesday, a demonstrative class of their own compositions at Conservatorio Nacional de Música.

During the first half of the concert they will play Sabat's compositions, while during the second half they will play "Feldman," a piece by John Cage.

Clarke studied composition at University of Toronto and had presentations as a soloist with The New Music Group of Los Angeles Philarmonic, Symphonic Orchestra of Toronto, The S.E.M. Ensemble Orchestra and Merce Cunningham Dance Company and at festivals in Europe and North America.

Sabat also studied at the University of Toronto and New York's Juilliard Academy. He has created soundtracks for videos and pieces for concerts, and has performed at  several prestigious international festivals like “Donaueschinger Musiktage,” “MaerzMusik,” “Darmstadt,” and “Carnegie Hall.”

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

A scientist from the University of Cambridge came to the conclusion that the Nasca civilization was destroyed because they eliminated its natural defense line; the huarangos forest, which used to protect them from the the ravages of “El Niño.”

The forest was a natural defense to El Niño floods.

David Beresford-Jones, from The McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research of Cambridge University, and other colleagues as well, arrived to this conclusion after studying the effects of El Niño in 1998 as a model to try to reproduce the impact of a similar phenomenon on this ancient civilization.

In 1998 there was a two-meter-high flood at modern city of Ica, and a projection with the help of the computers shows that “El Niño” happening sometime between year 500 or 600 a.C. could have had effects more catastrophic on  the low Ica valley, one of the centers of the civilization.

However, the Nazcas could have survived that natural disaster, however had they not deforested the land for agricultural farming, according to this study.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peru's President Alan García Pérez signed the bill that will create the Ministry of Culture, the first one in the nation's history, which will now be submitted to Parliament.

The president said that this ministry is to be responsible for state policy in this area, promoting various cultural events in the country and safeguarding the Nation's cultural heritage.

It also will be responsible for systems of museums, libraries and archives, and of providing incentives for the private sector to participate in the promotion and conservation.

"If there's a nation that requires a Ministry of Culture, that is Peru, our homeland," García said. The ceremony was attended by the president's cabinet, Javier Velasquez, and the Education Minister José Antonio Chang

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

More than 400 actors and traditional dancers will take part in the dramatization of the appearance in Lake Titicaca of mythical couple Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo, founders of Inca Empire according to local legends.

The play will be performed on November 3rd and 5th, celebrating the 341st anniversary of Puno.

Jenny Silva Quispe, President of Regional Federation of Culture and Folclore, informed the representation will last several hours: "The idea is to present a great show with more than 400 actors,” she pointed out.

According to her, Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo characters will make their ceremonial appearance at Iscata Isle at Acora at 6:00am and will offer a ritual to the Pachamama before starting their voyage through the lake, towards Chucuito.

After the play, there will be a dancing contest, which winners will dance during the 2010's Virgen de la Candelaria festivities.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

A homage to Inca Garcilaso de la Vega's "Los Comentarios Reales" will be paid at the 4th Dallas International Book Fair.

The event "400 Years, 400 Souls" is looking for 400 people, including the visitors to the fair and those who tune in to the event at Lagartijapop.com from any place in the earth, despite creating a community is not easy due to the geographical distances.

The homage is an opportunity to share Peruvian culture and enrich the Spanish heritage in the United States through one of the most important celebrities in our history.

Garcilaso de la Vega was a man of two worlds: bilingual, of mixed-race, migrant, like many Peruvians in the United States. "400 Years 400 Souls" is like an initial point to offer cultural bridges and encounter to people from all over the world thanks to technology.

The events will take place at the Erik Johnson Central Library.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

According to a poll conducted by the Universidad de Lima (University of Lima) and published today in El Comercio, most Limenians prefer to celebrate the “Día de la Canción Criolla” (Day of “Creole” Music) rather than Halloween.

Almost 90% of those polled said that they do like the so-called “creole” music (coastal popular folk music) and 58.3% said they would go out and celebrate it.

Some of the most remembered and favored songs among Limenians and “chalacos” (people from port of Callao) are Chabuca Granda's “La Flor de la Canela,” and Augusto Polo Campos' “Contigo Perú” and “Y se llama Perú.”

On the other hand, only 22% of the polled agreed with celebrating Halloween in Peru, which is seen only as an American tradition.

The survey was carried out with 596 citizens randomly selected in 39 districts of the capital and the first port in the country. It also has a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of 4.09%

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.