Ethnomusicology Visiting Artist Concert: Miguel Ballumbrosio, Afro-Peruvian Music and Dance

Autumn Quarter Ethnomusicology Visiting Artist Miguel Ballumbrosio presents a performance of Afro-Peruvian dance and music traditions from the region of Chincha, where several generations of his family have been prominent culture bearers. He is joined by guest artists De Cajón and by his UW students from Music and Dance.

Program

Miguel Ballumbrosio
UW Ethnomusicology Community Artist in Residence, Winter 2024
Afro-Peruvian Music and Dance

 De Cajón Project
Festejo Amador Contrapunto de zapateo

Presentation of musical instruments by students
Traditional Afro-Peruvian instruments: cajón, cajita, quijada Other instruments that are used today: campana, batajones, congas 

“Ensamble Cajón” “Valentín” (landó rhythm)

Dance presentation (zapateo)

The Artists

Miguel Ballumbrosio was born in Chincha, Peru, in 1976, the 11th of 15 children. His father, Amador Ballumbrosio, was an important culture bearer in his Afro Peruvian community who has been recognized by the Peruvian government as a national treasure. From the age of four Miguel danced zapateo for the Virgen del Carmen, and today he is the leader of the Atajo de Negritos del Carmen, which is celebrated every December in his community.

Miguel’s talent also attracted attention from outside his home community at an early age. At age 14 he began to tour internationally with the rock musician Miki Gonzales, and he later immigrated to Lima, where he played with different Afroperuvian groups (Cofradía Negra, Teatro Milenio) and the funk-fusion band La Pura Purita. In 2002 he traveled to France with Grupo Milenio, and later he moved to Spain, where he continued to perform with international artists.

From 2004-2016 Miguel was based in Paris, where he performed on cajón and zapateo (foot percussion) with the Paris Jazz big band, Minino Garay y Los Tambores del Sur, Los Frapadingos, Inca Mandinga and international artists such as Chucho Valdes, Giovanni Hidalgo, Gonzalo Rubalcaba. He has taught Afro-Peruvian music and instrument building at several schools and community centers in Paris, including La Cité de la Musique Philarmonique de Paris, and has also continued to offer workshops internationally.

Eight years ago Miguel began building the Centro Cultural Amador Ballumbrosio in his hometown of Chincha, a space for the people and their traditions, to promote and preserve Afro- peruvian and Afro-andino culture. He has returned home to continue the legacy of his father, Amador Ballumbrosio.

DE CAJóN Project, a Seattle-based performance group born of the rich musical heritage of African descent Peruvians, has been performing in the Pacific Northwest since 2009. “De cajón” is a Peruvian expression that means “for sure!” “rain or shine!” “without question!” Cajón is also the name of a box-shaped drum, the driving percussive element at the heart of Afro-Peruvian music. As a performing group DE CAJóN strives to offer a vibrant reclamation of Afro-Peruvian music and dance, both its historic roots and contemporary manifestations, through workshops and music performances for diverse audiences. 

DE CAJóN founder and director is Seattle-based artist and anthropologist Monica Rojas- Stewart, a community arts activist and pioneering performer and educator of Afro-Peruvian culture, and of the broader Afro-Latinx arts movement in the Pacific Northwest. She is joined in this concert by De Cajón members Eduardo Montero (bass), and Roberto Bonaccorso (guitar and vocals). 

Students in MUSAP 389 A Au 24: World Music

Rowan Bever
Finley Brown
Haley Chavez
Grace Clarke
Ashley Cook
Penny Crichton
Hannah Daniels
Yifan Han
Minghao Li
Yilin “Elene” Liu
Rayne Mescallado
Ari Okin
Nate Paris
Juan Posada
Sage Ramberg
Ash Snow
Markus Teuton
Wenwen “Kiki” Wei
Paula Zhong

Students in Dance 244A Afro-Peruvian Zapateo (step dance)

Vivian Lian
Sixian Liu
Zimo Liu
Ashlyn Morgan
Koyomi Nanaumi
Madeline Robertson
Sara Wang
Zinnia Wang
Irene Xin Jie Lau
Tessa Xu
Yixin Zhang
Anne Zhao
Ziyu Zhao