Lima is a city with much more than ceviche restaurants, coastal views and congested streets–like any capital city, it has its cosmopolitan side as well. This past week, for example, marked the 24th annual Jazz Festival in Lima, which featured bands from Italy, the United States, Brazil and, of course, Peru. The festival is hosted by the Peruvian Cultural Institute of North American (ICPNA) at its venue located in the Miraflores district of Lima. Each evening a different band offered an evening of jazz, beginning with The Native Jazz Quartet from the United States, whose members hail from America, Asia and Europe and play jazz in the tradition of the swing-bepop style. They were followed by the Jazz Crew, a quartet led by Mónica Gastelumendi, whose innovative sound fuses musical traditions from Brazil, Spain and Peru. Wednesday evening brought Brazil to the stage with the Carioca Bossa Jazz Quintet, with members from Brazil and Peru, including famed singer from Rio de Janeiro, Laura Valle and Peruvian guitarist Sergio Valdeos. After Brazil, the Dúo Mazzarino-Ionata, two Italian musicians, gave the festival a taste of European jazz. Friday evening, the group Andahuayjazz, led by Lima native, Fredy Guzmán, offered a varied repertoire, fusing elements from the folk music of Cusco, Andahuaylillas and Ayacucho, as well as traditional jazz, blues and themes from Indian musician Ravi Shankar. Jazz Groove closed the festival on Saturday with its big band jazz ensemble that spanned the range of roots and styles of the genre. I spent my Friday evening listening to Andahuayjazz, a quartet formed by guitarist Fredy Guzmán from Lima, saxophonist David Comidi from Tel Aviv, drummer Ken Ychikawa from Boston and bassist Noel Marambio from New York. Guzmán, who received a scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music, composed the songs based on
Lima is a city with much more than ceviche restaurants, coastal views and congested streets–like any capital city, it has its cosmopolitan side as well. This past week, for example, marked the 24th annual Jazz Festival in Lima, which featured bands from Italy, the United States, Brazil and, of course,…
Wednesday evening throngs of smartly dressed people converged upon the Museum of Contemporary Art (M.A.C.) in the Barranco district for the inauguration of the second annual PArC—Peru Contemporary Art Fair directed by Gastón Deleau. PArC Art Fair 2014 This year 42 galleries from 13 countries are showcasing works in the M.A.C., drawing together artists, art collectors and art enthusiasts from all over Lima to peruse the various stands for a glimpse of current movements in Latin American art, as well as art from Europe and the U.S. Local galleries like Lucía de la Puente, 80M2, Galería, Forúm, Wu Gallery and others featured samples of their collection in addition to galleries from Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, the U.S., Spain and Germany. The space was brimming with people who wandered from stand to stand to see the sculptures, paintings, photography, videos, installations and mixed media works that offered something for all tastes from José Carlos Martinat’s massive bronze lion strung from the ceiling in the Revolver Gallery (Lima) stand to the tiny, delicate pencil sketch by Glexis Novoa in the T+Karpio Projects stand (Cuba). Sponsors Stella Artois and Johnnie Walker Double Black provided complimentary drinks to guests as they mingled among the stands set up in the 2000m² exhibition space of the M.A.C. Contemporary Latin American Art PArC, in its second edition, continues with its goal of disseminating contemporary Latin American art, with as many as 35 international art collectors among the many visitors in Lima. Of equal importance is that the fair promotes the burgeoning art scene as it progresses, edging conscientiously toward maturity in Peru’s sprawling capital. This year, in addition to the gallery stands where prospective buyers or artists can connect with the gallery curators or the artists themselves, there will be a series of
Wednesday evening throngs of smartly dressed people converged upon the Museum of Contemporary Art (M.A.C.) in the Barranco district for the inauguration of the second annual PArC—Peru Contemporary Art Fair directed by Gastón Deleau. PArC Art Fair 2014 This year 42 galleries from 13 countries are showcasing works in the…
Specialist Guide Holly Wissler Holl Wissler, an ethnomusicologist, is one of Aracari's specialist guides in Peru. Her academic research and wealth of experience in remote Andean communities puts her in a privileged position to share unique insight into rural andean life and the role of music in these communities. The importance of music in Andean Culture Music has always played a key role in Andean culture, long before the Incas, and it continues to retain its importance even today in the communities of Peru, though traditional cultural practices have been lost in many places. The community of Q’eros located in the Paucartambo province, about 160 kilometres (100 miles) northeast of the city of Cusco, has managed to retain many of their traditions like weaving, music and spiritual rituals. Because of their location in a region with three distinct ecological zones, the Q'eros people have been able to remain self-sufficient, and thus, have maintained these traditions with little influence from outside culture. Even so, there exists the risk that younger generations will lose their cultural traditions in favor of modern culture, which they encounter during visits to the city of Cusco. Ethnomusicology Holly Wissler, originally from Iowa, began living and working with the Q'eros community in 2003 after having spent over two decades as a travel tour guide in the southern Andes of Peru. With a master's degree in performance flute and a PhD in ethnomusicology, Holly’s background has allowed her to connect to these Andean peoples through the expression that moves them most: music. Preserving the musical heritage of the Q'eros Accustomed to giving lectures for various universities, Holly has brought the music of the Andes to the rest of the world and has also returned 50 years of musical recordings, documentaries and publications (hers and that of others) to the Q'eros. In this
Specialist Guide Holly Wissler Holl Wissler, an ethnomusicologist, is one of Aracari’s specialist guides in Peru. Her academic research and wealth of experience in remote Andean communities puts her in a privileged position to share unique insight into rural andean life and the role of music in these communities. The…
On Saturday April 12th the Mario Testino Gallery, MATE, opened its permanent collection, which will be the first in the world to dedicated to showcasing the work of the famous Peruvian photographer. The museum will continue to have temporary exhibits in addition to the main collection of Testino’s photographs so as to continue with its mission of promoting Peruvian and international artists in the Barranco district of Lima. The photos in the collection, from Testino’s over 35 years of working around the world, are separated into themed rooms, beginning with his muses, Kate Moss and Giselle Bündchen, pop music legend Madonna, Hollywood stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, as well as previously unexhibited images from the Alta Moda exhibit that features Andean fashion. Another section showcases a selection of portraits of Princess Diana. New selections will be incorporated into the permanent collection as Testino continues to add to his body of work. Mario Testino is an internationally acclaimed photographer, who was born in Lima, Peru and later moved to London, where he began his career in portrait photography. He is reputed for his ability to tap into the cultural and commercial spirit of the era, which has led him to become a highly-coveted collaborator in the fashion and beauty industries. His photos have been published in magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair and V Magazine, and he has featured in The National Portrait Gallery in London, Today Art Museum in Beijing, Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Museum Thyssen- Bornemisza in Madrid and others. Most recently Mario Testino was named the President of the Board of World Monuments Fund of Peru. He should be well-suited to this honorable position, especially in light of his work on the MATE gallery, which is housed in a refurbished Republican townhouse that is considered Historical Peruvian Patrimony.
On Saturday April 12th the Mario Testino Gallery, MATE, opened its permanent collection, which will be the first in the world to dedicated to showcasing the work of the famous Peruvian photographer. The museum will continue to have temporary exhibits in addition to the main collection of Testino’s photographs so…
Tourism in Peru over the past couple of decades has seen immense progress and growth, but with any development, the positive results are inevitably shadowed by accompanying negative effects. Looking at tourism in Peru, we could certainly sing an anthem, celebrating the many advances in infrastructure, management, quality of service and of course, the revenue that it has generated for the Peruvian economy. However, there is always room for improvement, and in Peru, some of these improvements, if not made, could be decisive, as struggles to increase sustainability, reduce environmental impact and manage major tourist destinations threaten the future of tourism in the country. Is it possible that without making changes, a decade from now we could be singing a requiem, mourning the demise of Peruvian tourism? This is precisely the topic that Aracari founder Marisol Mosquera tackled in a talk she was invited to give by the Anglo-Peruvian Society at the Peruvian Embassy in London on Wednesday evening titled, as one might expect, “Peruvian Tourism: Anthem or Requiem?”. The Anglo-Peruvian Society, founded in 1961, aims to, “advance the education of the people of Great Britain about Peru, its people, history, language and literature, its institutions, folklore and culture and its intellectual, artistic, and economic life”. The society meets regularly and hosts events that feature a myriad of aspects of Peruvian culture and society while also fundraising for charities located in Peru. Given that Marisol has nearly two decades worth of experience in as a Peru travel specialist, she was well primed for such a discussion of the good, the bad and the ugly in the current state of tourism. What follows is an abridged version of excerpts from Marisol’s talk, which was, by all accounts, a great success. Special acknowledgment is due to Maria Eugenia de Aliaga, Kurt Holle and Roger Valencia
Tourism in Peru over the past couple of decades has seen immense progress and growth, but with any development, the positive results are inevitably shadowed by accompanying negative effects. Looking at tourism in Peru, we could certainly sing an anthem, celebrating the many advances in infrastructure, management, quality of service…
It is often the case that one tends to overlook the more obvious places. This is what has happened to me in the last 20 years or so... and now I am determined to change it. A visit to the Alhambra in Granada, Spain was at the top of the list. I ventured for a short break with my son and some friends a couple of weeks ago. The Alhambra bizarrely only made it to the finalist list of the new wonders of the world but so did some of the most incredible monuments on the planet. It is truly a marvelous place. The Alhambra is a fortress city on a hilltop built by the Nasrid dynasty in the 13th and 14th centuries in the late period of Islamic occupation of the Iberian Peninsula. Rising above the modern lower town, the Alhambra and the charming residential area of Albayzín, situated on two adjacent hills, form the medieval part of Granada. To the east of the Alhambra are the magnificent gardens of the Generalife. The entire compound of the Alhambra is superb and inside, the architecture, mosaics and decorative works are amazing. Because of the sheer popularity of these places (wonders of the world and the finalists like the Alhambra) it is daunting to decide to visit in the first place. But I decided to embark on this experience, and not be deterred by the crowds, to see if I could learn something new not only about the Nasrids but also as to how World Heritage sites are being managed for tourism. Involved in the world of tourism as I am, I always like to find ways—though it´s quite a challenge—to get these visits right. We spent a lovely couple of days in Granada, and I feel we got it right, so I would
It is often the case that one tends to overlook the more obvious places. This is what has happened to me in the last 20 years or so… and now I am determined to change it. A visit to the Alhambra in Granada, Spain was at the top of the list….
