Filmed partly in Peru, and partly in a studio in the San Francisco Bay Area, his one-hour documentary gives an over-view of the little-known Afro-Peruvain community and its performing arts tradition. Our star, Lalo Izquierdo, is a dancer, choreographer, percussionist, and folklorist of his Afro-Peruvian community. He is ably supported by a San Francisco Bay Area group "de Rompe y Raja," composed primarily of Peruvian immigrants to the United States.
The documentary includes lots of performance, as well as interviews with Izquierdo, a narration, on-location footage, and other interesting materials. The music and dance are lively and colorful, in many respects similar to the Afro-Cuban tradition. Most are traditional, some dating from the time of slavery in Peru. The music has contributed substantially to Latin jazz both by contributing new rhythms and by introducing percussion instruments, especially the caj´n (cajon drum), that is now used by many Latin jazz groups - and is even found in Spanish flamenco! The documentary is in English, and Spanish with English subtitles.
