CHASQUIPERUVIAN MAIL

Cultural Bulletín of the Ministry of Foreign AffairsYear 2, Number 4 August 2004

QHAPAQ ÑAN: THE GREAT INCA TRAIL / LANGUAGES IN PERU THREE POETS OF THE FIFTIES / OUR DAILY SEA

A STORY ABOUT HISTORY / THE AFRO PERUVIAN CAJON

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CHASQUI 2

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HOW MANY LANGUAGES DOPERUVIANS SPEAK?

here is no easy answer to thisquestion, since determiningwhether a particular tongue is in

fact a language rather than a dialect isno simple task. Despite thesedifficulties, experts speak of theexistence of 39 or 40 languages in theAmazon region, grouped in 16 linguisticfamilies.1 That is to say, in addition tothe native languages that we are wellaware of, such as Shipibo, Aguaruna,Machiguenga and Ashaninka (the lattertwo are related and belong to theArahuaca family), there is a greatdiversity of languages that the rest ofthe Peruvian population know verylittle about. Nor do we know muchabout the people who speak them.Every one of these languages forms partof a cultural framework that is bothdifferent and unique. The jungle isnot a homogeneous territory, neitherare the natives who inhabit it all alike.Every ethnic group has its own beliefsand practices, its own particular historyand each has its own way of relating tothe national culture. We are not veryfamiliar with all this; it is probably ourlack of knowledge that is at the root ofour indifference.

Now let us review the Andeanregion. Whenever we think about theAndes, the only languages that springto mind are Quechua and Aymara. Inlinguistic terms, however, the Andeanregion is almost as complex as theAmazon region. To begin with, it isdifficult to consider Quechua andAymara as «languages», since there arealmost as many idiomatic differencesbetween them as there are between

French and Spanish. In addition, bothQuechua and Aymara are spoken bypeople who do not necessarily sharethe same traditions, but who, quite thecontrary, have very different customsand idiosyncrasies. For example, notonly do Quechua speakers from Cuz-co speak quite differently fromQuechua speakers in Ancash, theyalso have very different culturaltraditions and festivals.

The same occurs with Aymara,which is commonly thought of as thelanguage of the highland plains, whenin fact it is also spoken in Tacna and inthe highlands of Lima (where it isreferred to as jaqaru, the Aymara termfor «man’s language»). Again, thevariations and cultural applicationsbetween an Aymara speaker fromPuno and one from the highlands ofLima (specifically the town of Tupe)are surprisingly different.

In view of the above, currentscholars tend to look upon Quechuaand Aymara as linguistic familiescomprised of groups that not only speakdifferently but also belong to differentnations. We tend to relate Quechuawith the Andean region and areusually unaware of the fact that manyvarieties of Quechua are employed asa means of communication by peoplein lower jungle areas who live on thebanks of the rivers Napo, Pastaza andTigre. As a matter of fact, men andwomen who originally belonged to theOmaguas, Quipos, Canelos or Cocamas(all Amazon ethnic groups) now callthemselves kichwas, without realizingthat their language stems fromQuechua. They are also unaware ofthe fact that they did not learn kichwafrom the Incas (who were never ableAthanasius Kircher, The tower of Babel, Rome, 1639

LANGUAGES IN PERU

REREADING BABEL Roberto Zariquiey*

We are told in Genesis that in ancient times, «the whole world had one language and a common speech»

(Genesis 11, 1). This made men strong and united, to the extent that they decided to build themselves a

city with a tower reaching to the heavens. Realizing their intention, Jehovah punished them by making

them speak differently. According to Jewish and Christian traditions, that was the origin of the world’s

linguistic diversity. Nowadays, many sectors of society still look upon the linguistic and cultural diversity

as a problem. They view others as savages and still believe that the homogenisation of individuals is the

solution. Can Peru progress by turning its back on the linguistic and cultural diversity that characterizes

the country? Below are a few facts and thoughts to help readers understand how different we are and

how much needs to be done so that we can learn to know and value ourselves.

CHASQUI 3

to conquer them), but from the Jesuitswho arrived in these territories duringthe XVII century to evangelise them,communicating with them in Quechua.

REREADING BABEL

Everything stated thus far will helpto understand an essential fact: to saythat Peru is a multicultural ormultilingual country should not be amerely rhetorical argument. The factis that our country is much more diversethat we imagine. If we accept thatQuechua and Aymara are linguisticfamilies and acknowledge that verydifferent people speak those languages,it all becomes even more complex.Furthermore, Spanish is spoken to agreater or lesser extent throughout thecountry, coming into contact with allthis linguistic diversity and creatingsituations in which the Spanishlanguage is more valued and respectedthat its native counterparts. We cannotdeny that, in certain sectors of ourcountry, original native tongues arestrongly frowned upon and are neverused by the State system, not even foradministrative or legal purposes.

This diversity is a reality that wehave no right to evade. Turning ourbacks on the authenticity of thesepeople is an attitude that has becomecharacteristic of our country. As if theydid not exist or as if their existence wasuncomfortable or problematic, we havepreferred to silence and conceal thenatives’ circumstances, needs andproblems. This is doubly unfair,considering that many of their problems

have been caused precisely by thecompulsion with which other forceshave dedicated themselves to tappingtheir natural resources, destroying theecosystems, exploiting native people,scaring away animals and practicingdeforestation in entire hectares offorestland.

It is as though many sectors of societywere driven by a Babel way of thinking,which is also extremely comfortable,because in some ways it justifies ourindifference. Why worry aboutsomething that is a sign of backwardnessand an obstacle for development?

We continue to believe that thediversity is an impediment for buildingthat tower that will make us grow as a

country. To this day, we still believethat the homogenisation of individualsis the solution. The truth is, however,that the impediment has not been theexisting diversity, but simply the waywe have dealt with it. We have beenunable to build the tower because wedecided to silence and violate others ofa different culture or language. Aftermore than five centuries, we have beenincapable of learning to live alongsidethem peacefully, respecting and valuingthe differences rather than thinkingabout how we can become rich attheir expense. That is what the Babelmyth tells us: the problem is not thediversity itself, but the way men havedealt with it.

1 Language, dialect and linguistic familymay seem rather vague concepts. We shalltry to clarify them by resorting to our ownSpanish language: It could be considered,for instance, that people in Buenos Aires,Lima and Madrid speak Spanish dialects,which in turn comprise a language alongsideother related languages like Portuguese,French or Italian, for example. After all,these languages all form part of the sameromantic family that bands together all Latin-based languages.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Rodolfo Cerrón-Palomino. Lengua y socie-dad en el valle del Mantaro. (Language andsociety in the Mantaro valley) IEP, Lima 1986.La lengua del Naylamp. Recons-truccción yobsolescencia del mochi-ca. (The Naylamplanguage, Reconstruction and obsolescenceof the Mochicas) PUCP, Lima, 1995. Lingüís-tica aimara. (Aymara Linguistics) CentroBartolomé de las Casas, Cusco, 2000. Caste-llano andino. Aspectos sociolingüísticos, pedagógi-cos y gramaticales (Andean Spanish. Socio-linguistic, pedagogic and grammaticalaspects). GTZ/PUCP, Lima, 1995. Lingüísticaquechua (Quechua linguistics). C. B. de lasCasas, Cusco, 2003.

Alberto Escobar. Variaciones sociolin-güísticasdel castellano en el Perú (Socio-linguisticvariations in Peruvian Spanish). IEP. Lima,1978.

Anna María Escobar. Contacto social y lingüís-tico: el español en contacto con el quechua en elPerú (Social and linguistic contact: Spanishin contact with Quechua in Peru). PUCP,Lima 2000.

Germán de Granda. Estudios de LingüísticaAndina (Studies on Andean Linguistics).PUCP, Lima 2002.

Inés Pozzi-Escot. El multilingüismo en el Perú(Multilinguism in Peru). C.B.C., Cusco 1998.

Gustavo Solís. Las lenguas en la Amazonía Pe-ruana (Languages in the Peruvian Amazon).FORTE-PE, Lima 2000.

Virginia Zavala. Desencuentro con la escritura.Escuela y comunidad en los Andes peruanos(Disenchantment with writing. School andcommunity in the Peruvian Andes). Redpara el Desarrollo de las Ciencias Sociales(Social Sciences Development Network).Lima, 2002.

Other publications on this subject

Andrés Chirinos Rivera. Atlas lingüístico delPerú. (Linguistic Atlas of Peru) CBC-Ministry of Education, Cusco, 2001.

José Antonio Salas. Diccionario mochica-cas-tellano, castellano-mochica. (Mochica - Spanish,Spanish – Mochica Dictionary) San Martínde Porres University, Lima, 2002.

Alfredo Torero. Idiomas de los Andes: lingüís-tica e historia (Andean Languages: linguisticsand history). IFEA, Lima, 2002.

* Professor of the Pontificate CatholicUniversity, devoted to native languages.

James Orton, The Andes and the Amazon, N. York, 1876.

EXTINCT LANGUAGES IN PERU

The Spaniards themselves confirmed the multilingualism that characterises our country during the first years ofthe Colony. They could not conceal their amazement at the tremendous variety of languages they were discovering.For example, in 1588, Jesuit Acosta mentioned the existence of «a real jungle of languages»; Inca Garcilazohimself explained in 1609 that «every province, every nation and in many places every town has a language of itsown that differs from that of its neighbours».

Many of the languages referred to by European chroniclers or travellers who rediscovered our country during theXIX century, are now extinct. For example, the only evidence of the vast number of languages that the Spaniardscame across in the north of Peru can only be found in the toponymy and in the records that certain chroniclers,colonial priests or travellers left as a legacy. We have all heard about the Mochica language, but are unaware of thefact that there were also many others, such as the one referred to as pescadora (which was spoken in areas close toLima) and the languages of Olmos, Sechura and Catacaos-Paita. It is difficult to determine the linguistic statusof these, but they do appear in certain documents, such as those of Jaime Baltazar Martinez Compañon, the bishopof Trujillo who towards 1785 obtained a lexical list of some of the languages spoken in his jurisdiction.

Martinez Compañón himself also picked up some words of an important language called culle. Culle was alanguage of the northern highlands that has now died out, although several words are still used in Cajamarca tothis day. An in-depth study of culle remains a pending task.

Some of the languages of the highland plains are no longer spoken, the two most prominent being puqina, whichthe Spaniards considered a general language, and ch’imu, the ancient tongue of the Uros. Although PeruvianUros have lost their language, they still preserve their own identity, which differs from that of the Aymaras, eventhough they speak the same language as the latter.

Finally, as far as the Amazon region is concerned, the extinction of languages is far more complex. At the presenttime, the majority of the ethnic groups are clearly switching to Spanish and, therefore, losing their native tongues.Many of these languages have already become extinct. Probably the saddest case is that of cocama cocamilla, alanguage that was spoken throughout the Amazon region before the arrival of the Spaniards and was consideredimportant in both social and political terms. The breakdown of these idiomatic traditions is both clear andimminent. If we want to preserve them, a genuine linguistic recovery policy is required in order to revive andmaintain all these traditions that are being silenced on a daily basis.

CHASQUI 4

Oda a la tarde

Gritas, ¡oh tarde! Las muchachasacodadas al balcón, enmudecidas,te perciben, y los autómatas que ardeny gimen en azules azoteas anegadas.¡Cantas solitaria y te desangras!

Yo te he visto clamar sin brazos,y enredarte en los alambres de púasde los desiertos paseos públicos.Yo te he visto forcejear desnudacon un sudor de escarcha en las axilas.

Yo te he visto bailar en los espejos,y correr por plazas de amaranto,y dar una hora sin relojespara las castas parejas que temblabanacosadas por un largo fulgor de telegramas.

Yo te he visto huir y destrozartela frente contra el mármol aleve de la umbría,y abrazarte, herida, de los postes,y llenar, sentada dulcemente,de hilos y cenizas los estanques.

Yo he rayado tu dramática mejillacon uñas de diamante o agujas de obsidiana,y mordido tus labios delgados como espadas;yo he besado tu busto y me he bañadoen tu halo de deshechas mariposas.

¿Hacia qué antiguo malecón de cobreconduces, como un aro, la furentey desalada luna del terror? Las mujereste despiden con los muslos entreabiertos y descalzas,y te escoltan golondrinas y gramófonos.

¿Qué imposible cintura alucinantepersigues en la luz remota y loca?¿A qué hoguera, ídolo verde, te abalanzas?Cantas y sollozas. ¡Ya no hay nadie!A lo lejos mece el viento columpios oxidados.

Yo adoré tu trémulo perfil y tus violados ojosde leona malherida y el turbio ángel de yescaque detrás de tus hombros taciturno velaba.Yo execré tu sortija que encandilaba mendigosy mecanógrafas lisiadas de péndulo en la nuca.

Yo te llevé por cines y terrazas y alamedascomo a una enamorada. Te esperé a la orillade undantes planicies exornadas con estatuas,y a lo largo de enlutadas avenidas inconclusaste arrastré de los cabellos por los atrios de la nieve.

Tarde de fotografías sangrantes y sandalias,¡salve! ¡Palmas a tu paso! ¡Hosanna! ¡Hosanna!¡Claveles a tu cuerpo yacente en la litera!¡Alminares de azufre para tu horizonte desollado!¡Vítor! ¡Evohé! ¡Eya velar! ¡Aleluya!

THREE POETS OF THE FIFTIESThree of the most prominent poets of the so-called «fifties generation» have died within the last three months. They were a

distinguished promotion of intellectual creators whose spontaneity was evident in every field of Peru’s contemporary culture. Thepoetic works of Javier Sologuren, Washington Delgado and Francisco Bendezu stand out among the increasingly more valued

Peruvian poetry of the XX century.

cementerio de gentiles

éstos son los presentesla humana carnepresa en tela(manchas oprobiosencarnaciones últimas)y el polvo

qué nos trae el polvode la comarca extinta

estuvo quieto muertoy sin embargolo oímos respirararrastrarseencendidopor las puras luminarias

polvo de estrellastierras de polvoflor de lumbrey de tinieblanuestro irrevocable alimentonos espera

qué parte de nosotrosquiere rendirseyaal laberinto oscuroy echarsea lo largo del silencioa dormirentre el enjambrede los muertos

Poesía

Poesía, no me niegues tus donespor más tiempo. Tengo el oído atento,los ojos despiertos, abierto el corazón.

Poesía, ¿a qué eres igual,cuál tu gemelo, cuál tu secreto?Si es en soledad donde tus voces se oyen,en ella te he guardado sólo con mi deseo.Si el sueño es, otra cosa no he hechoque vagar entre los signos de la noche,llama en que me enajeno.

No. No te pareces al amor¿No está para siempre en mí su garra?diría aún a la pena o al olvidosi no fueran el pan de cada día.Pero qué cerca estás de mi sangrey sólo creo en el dolor de haberte visto.

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Javier Sologuren (Lima, 1921-2004) In addition to being a poet, he was an essay writer andtranslator. He put his works of poetry together under the title Continuous life, which was re-edited successively, and his prose in the volume Gravitations and tangents (1988). Sologurenreceived the National Poetry Award in 1960 and 1985 and directed La Rama Florida (TheFlowery Branch) under an artisan seal, including several poems.

JAVIER SOLOGUREN

Cemetery of Gentiles

Here is the existinghuman fleshimprinted in fabric(shameful stainslatest incarnations)and dust

what does the dust bringfrom the wiped out area

he was dead stillyet neverthelesswe heard him breathedragging himselfilluminatedby the pure starlight

stardustdusty earthflower of lightand gloomour irrevocable fareawaits us

which part of uswould like to surrendernowto the dark labyrinthand lie downin silenceto sleepamongst the throngof the dead

Poetry

Poetry, do not deny me your giftsany longer. I am all ears,ny eyes are wide open, as is my heart.

Poetry, what do you resemble,which is your twin, what is your secret?If it is in solitude that your voices can be heard,I´ve waited for you only with my fire.If it a dream, I have done nothing elsebut wander between the signs of nightthe flame in which I alienate myself

No. You do not resemble loveare its claws not gripping me forever?I would even say no to sorrow or neglectif they were not our daily bread.But how close you are to my bloodand I only believe in the pain of havingseen you.

Francisco Bendezú (Lima, 1928-2004) was awarded the National Poetry Award in 1957and 1966. He published Arte menor (Minor Art) (1960), Los años (The years) (1961) andCantos (Songs) (1971), to which this Ode belongs.

FRANCISCO BENDEZÚ

Ode to the afternoon

You scream, Oh afternoon! The girlshuddled together on the balcony, dumbstruck,notice you, and the automatons in a feverish stategroaning on the blue flooded roofsYou sing a solitary song and bleed to death!

I have seen you clamouring with no armsgetting tangled in the barbed wireof deserted public walkways.I have seen you struggle nakedyour armpits sweating glitter.

I have watched you dancing in the mirrors,and running through crimson-coloured squarestelling the time without a watchto the caste shivering couplesharassed by fervent lengthy telegrams.

I have seen you flee and bash your headagainst the treacherous marble of the shady cornerand, hurt, embracing the postsand, sitting sweetly, fillingthe ponds with threads and ashes.

I have scratched your dramatic cheekwith diamond nails or obsidian needlesand bitten your thin sword-like lips;I have kissed your bust and bathedin your halo of worn-out butterflies

Towards which ancient copper waterfrontdo you ride, like a ring, the ragingand hasty moon of terror? Womenbid you farewell with open thighs and bare feetWhilst swallows and gramophones escort you.

Which impossibly dazzling waistlinedo you pursue in the remote and crazy light?Which bonfire, green idol do you hurl yourself on?You sing and you sob. There is no-one left!In the distance the wind sways the rusty swings.

I adored your tremulous profile and your sullied eyesof a badly wounded lioness whilst the shady tinder angelreservedly stood guard behind your shoulders.I execrated your ring which dazzled beggarsAnd typists hit on the back the neck by a pendulum.

I took you to cinemas and terraces and avenueslike a girlfriend. I waited for you on the edgeof undulating plains embellished with statuesand along sorrowful incomplete avenuesI dragged you by the hair through snow platforms

Afternoon of bleeding photographs and sandalsHail! Applause as you pass by! Hosanna! Hosanna!Carnations on your body lying on the berth!Sulphur minarets for your brazen horizon!Cheers! Hooray! Bravo! Alleluia!

CHASQUI 5

The years of violence were an experience thatmade me aware of the grave responsibility of thehistorian. It is the current urgency that revealed theserious social and political consequences of hisreasoning power. Using that power to inventidentities or nations (at least one was to be based onthe Andean Utopia) in order to blame presentproblems on the past (instead of using it tounderstand them) is inadmissible. It is alsounacceptable to defend transcendental essentialismsthat serve to advocate exclusion or discrimination(even though their definition may be opposed to thewhole), as is becoming the trend again today.Furthermore, it is dangerous to judge the supremejudge and to seek not only collective but hereditaryguilt. Likewise, when defending the victim, onemust be careful not to reduce the latter to that role,nor deny him the right to be or to want somethingelse (…).

Not much has been produced regarding thehistory of the colonial – native religious experience.Besides the stories, evangelising institutions and theChurch, which are only useful when they have asound empirical foundation, another trend consistsof an abundant production devoted to the religiousmovements of the XVI century (which was cut shortafter the critical evaluation of the Taki onqoy sourcesmade by Ramos in 1933), as well as the idolatriesand their extermination throughout the nextcentury. In the latter field, it was Duviols (1971)who led the way and is still consulted for referencepurposes (…).

Having refused to publish some final conclusionsthat would give the impression of a finishing pointbeing imposed in order to guide readers into extensive

FROM PAGANISM TOSANCTITY

Historian Juan Carlos Estenssoro Fuchs (Lima, 1964) has published a stimulatingbook on the native struggle to achieve integration into the cultural universe of

Catholicism during the colonial period. Below are fragments of the introductionwritten by the author:

chapters that may cause them to forget the globalarchitecture, I should like to provide some clues. Theglobal issue is the incorporation of Peruvian Indiansinto the Catholic religion and the Catholic Church(I hope theologians will allow me to make thatdistinction). I intend to read the history of the nativepopulation’s struggle to gain recognition as Christians(which means being able to participate fully in thesymbolic and institutional production of Catholicism).Consequently, I shall also deal with the barriers thatprevented this integration and eventual autonomy.

The book is written in chronological order, eachperiod characterized by different aspects: themessage of the doctrine and its words, gestures, ritesand ceremonies, sermons, images, witchcraft, miraclesand sanctity. The setting closes in gradually, untilthe story is focused on the city of Lima, but within aframework that is extended chronologically to apanoramic coverage of the whole time span in thefinal chapter. Some topics reappear throughout thebook and I invite readers to try and follow them: thedevil, life after death, the Incas, the transformationsof history, various forms of translation or transcription(oral, written, artistic, musical) and the productionand inventions of different traditions, their union andtheir separation.

Juan Carlos Estenssoro Fuchs. Del paganismo a la santidad.(From Paganism to Sanctity) PUCP/IEP, Lima 2003, 586 pp.feditor@pucp.edu.pewww.ifeanet.org.pe postmaster@ifea.org.peOn this subject, see also Ramón Mujica Pinilla. Rosa limensis.Mística, política e iconografía en torno a la patrona de América(Rose of Lima, mystical theology, politics and iconographyregarding America’s Patron Saint). IFEA/FCE/BCRP, Lima,2001, 485 pp. www.fceperu.com.pe fonedit@bcrp.gob.pe

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ARKINKA: ONE HUNDREDTH ISSUE

Since it appeared in 1995, the monthly magazine Arkinka has played a prominent role among local architectureand art publications. With indisputable quality, its director, architect Frederick Cooper Llosa, has continued thesaga of magazines like El Arquitecto Peruano (Peruvian Architect) founded by the late Fernando Belaunde Terry,

former architect and President of Peru; Plaza Mayo directed by urban plannerLuis Dorich; and Medio de Construcción (Means of Construction) directed byarchitect Adolfo Cordova for over 16 years.Arkinka is a good combination of the works of world-famous architects – fromPiano to Siza, Nouvel, Moneo or Rogers to Cinari or Gelvy – and the mainlocal architects. It combines the work of celebrated and innovating artists. Itcovers the urban planning of different cities, archaeological findings orfunctional issues like museums, shopping centres, housing and interiors, inaddition to heritage conservation, landscaping, architectural planning and afew bold proposals.Its director is also its main reporter. An untiring traveller, Cooper Llosa hascontinued to travel around the world over the years, drawing himself and uscloser to the main examples of contemporary architecture. Arkinka is notonly a quality magazine, but a genuine promoter of culture. Seewww.arkinka.com.pe (Luis Maldonado Valz).

READINGS

Wáshington Delgado (Cusco, 1927 - Lima, 2003) was apoet and a professor in San Marcos University. He wasawarded the National Poetry Award in 1952. He collectedhis works in Reunión elegida (1987) (Chosen Meeting). Thispoem forms part of his latest book Historia de Artidoro(Story of Artidoro) (1994).

WÁSHINGTONDELGADO

A horse in the house

I keep a horse in the house.During the day he kicks the floornext to the kitchen.At night he sleeps at the foot of my bed.His dung and his neighingmake life uncomfortablein a small house.But what else can I doas I amble towards deathin a world on the verge of doom?What else but to keep this horseas a pale shadow of the open fieldsunder the fresh air?In the dead and anonymous city,among the nameless dead, I walk alonglike one more corpse.People stare at me or ignore me,or swear, not knowingthat I keep a horse in my house.At night, I stroke his maneand give him a lump of sugarlike they do in films.He looks at me meekly, his round eyesseem ready to shed some tears.Perhaps it is the smoke from the kitchenor he feels desperate living in atwenty square meter yardor sleeping in a bedroomwith a wooden floor.Sometimes I thinkI should let him go freein search of his own death.And the distant fieldswithout which I could not live?I keep a horse in my housedesperately chainedto my dream of freedom.

Un caballo en la casa

Guardo un caballo en mi casa.De día patea el suelojunto a la cocina.De noche duerme al pie de mi cama.Con su boñiga y sus relinchoshace incómoda la vidaen una casa pequeña.¿Pero qué otra cosa puedo hacermientras camino hacia la muerteen un mundo al borde del abismo?¿Qué otra cosa sino guardar este caballocomo pálida sombra de los prados abiertosbajo el aire libre?En la ciudad muerta y anónima,entre los muertos sin nombre, yo caminocomo un muerto más.Las gentes me miran o no me miran,o maldicen y no sabenque guardo un caballo en mi casa.En la noche, acaricio sus crinesy le doy un trozo de azúcar,como en las películas.Él me mira blandamente, unas lágrimasparecen a punto de caer de sus ojos redondos.Es el humo de la cocina o tal vezle desespera vivir en un patiode veinte metros cuadradoso dormir en una alcobacon piso de madera.A veces piensoque debería dejarlo irse librementeen busca de su propia muerte.¿Y los prados lejanossin los cuales yo no podría vivir?Guardo un caballo en mi casadesesperadamente encadenadoa mi sueño de libertad.

CHASQUI 6

THE GREAT

An itinerant display reveals to the world the exceptional va

Qhapaq Ñan was the Main Andean Road during the time of the Incas, who developed an Andean road network around it, taking advantage ofof the Andean Highlands, totalling some 40,000 k., 23,000 of which have been recorded by archaeologists. Concerted actions by Peru, Bolivi

Inter-American Development Bank, these countries have started designing the Qhapaq Ñan integrated project, aimed at preserving its exceof the world can continue walking on it. The itinerant display organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the help of the Nat

in the National Museum in Lima, at the Book Fair in Bogotá and in Quito. It w

Location and direction of the roads

The route of Inca roads, which covered long distances, wasdetermined by a mixture of geographical and cultural factors.Deserts, rugged terrain, damp or marshy areas and exceptionallyhigh regions were determining natural factors. The mostimportant cultural influences were generally highly populatedareas and/or areas where activities of specific interest to theIncas took place, simply defined here as religious. military,administrative and economic. Pre-Inca roads and centres alsoinfluenced the direction of the Inca road network, althoughthis was the result of cultural and environmental factors aswell. Such is the case of exclusively Inca roads.

The construction of Inca roads was not blindly bound by anystraight line principle, as they often had to adapt to specificenvironmental obstacles. Apparently they only made substantialchanges in the direction of an almost perfectly straight roadwhen a sensible adjustment to flat terrain was necessary.

John Hyslop, Qhapaq Ñan. El Sistema Vial Incaico (The IncaRoad System) Translation by Eduardo Arias. Andean Instituteof Archaeological Studies and Petroperú. Lima, 1992 .

See also Víctor W. Von Haguen. Los caminos del sol. (Roads of the sun)Buenos Aires, 1958; The Royal road of the Inca. London, 1976. LeónStrube Erdmann. Vialidad imperial de los Incas (Imperial roads of the Incas).Córdoba, Argentina, 1963. Ricardo Espinosa. Capac Ñan-La Gran RutaInca (Capac Ñan-The Great Inca Trail). Lima, Petroperú, 2001.

Carnaval de la Isla de Taquile en el Titicaca. Foto: A. Balaguer.Peregrinación al Señor de Qoyllor R’iti. Foto: J. Silva.

Camino a Machu Picchu. Foto: M. d’Auriol.

Puerto Inca frente al Pacífico.Foto: M. d’Auriol

Guaman Poma (1615)

Camino al reino de los Chachapoyas. Foto: J. Esquiroz.

CHASQUI 7

INCA TRAIL

alue of qhapaq ñan, the greatest Andean engineering works.

f the road networks built by previous or parallel cultures. Lengthwise, the Inca Trail covered five of the more than seven thousand kilometresia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina and Colombia are aspiring to register the Inca Trail in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. With the support of theeptional cultural and natural values, supporting the populations whose ancestors made it possible and ensuring that hikers from other partstional Institute of Culture and the Ricardo Palma University, under the sponsorship of other companies, has already been exhibited

will be visiting numerous cities in all five continents within the next few months.

«...One of the things I most admired asI thought about and marvelled over thiskingdom, was how they could have builtsuch great and magnificent roads, whatkind of work force they required to do soand what tools and instruments theyused to flatten mountains and breakthrough rocks in order to make them asgrand and wide as they are. It seems tome that if the Emperor had wanted tohave another royal trail built like the onethat goes from Quito to Cuzco and thenfrom Cuzco to Chile, I believe he wouldhave had neither the strength nor themanpower do so in spite of all hissupremacy, had it not been for such agreat order given by the Yungas...»

Pedro de Cieza de LeónChronicle on Peru, Part Two. 1553.

Tutorship: Cecilia Raffo, Alonso Ruiz Rosas, Marcelo Saco.Introduction: Luis G. Lumbreras. Photographs: Alejandro Balaguer,

Jim Bartle, André Bartschi, Mylene d’Auriol, Jorge Esquiroz,Roberto Fantozzi, Daniel Giannoni, Max Milligan, Heinz Plenge,

James Posso, Javier Silva, Alejandro Tello, Renzo Uccelli,Manolo Urquizo, Felipe Varela, Walter H. Wust.

Acknowledgements: Jorge Flores Ochoa,Bienvenida - Turismo Cultural del Perú.

C.R

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6). P

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.E.G. Squier (1877)

Puente inca de Qeshwachaka. Foto: Max Milligan.Valle del Colca. Foto: A. Balaguer.

Machu Picchu, maravilla del mundo. Foto: J. Esquiroz.

CHASQUI 8

OUR DAILYSEA

«It is general knowledge that the natives of that coast hadone thing in common…. they adored the sea (….) they

treasured it for the benefits obtained from the fish that gavethem food to eat and manure for their land. In some parts ofthe coast, they used sardine heads as manure. They called

the sea ‘Mamacocha’, which means Mother Sea, since itfulfilled a mother’s duty of providing food».

Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Commentaries Royal (1069)

PRAISING AQUACULTUREPedro Trillo

he fishing sector in Peru willonly be able to grow within then e x t

ten years if we establish a firm Statepolicy favouring aquaculture. Ourmain fishing grounds for pelagicspecies like anchovies, sardines andmackerel have been fully exploitedand the volumes of catch achievedin 2000 for the production of fishmeal and fish oil were ten milliontons (9,750,000 MT). This is themaximum limit, which is very muchhigher than the historic average forthe last twenty-five years [...].

Our fishing grounds for demersal fishlike hake are constantly off limits,having been affected by the El Niñophenomenon and, according toothers, by constant over-fishingpractices. The recovery of thisbiomass could take several years,therefore it can no longer beconsidered the driving force behindthe fishing sector.

So far, it is evident that aquaculturehas not achieved the progress andexpansion that Peruvian societyexpected, given its enormousdevelopment potential. Aquacultureis the only fishing activity capable ofgenerating high growth rates, wealthand employment, since there is ademand in the world market and, atthe same time, it requires labour-intensive technological processes.Consequently, it is an idealinvestment in a poor country withlimited capital.

Aquaculture is an economic activitythat can only exist over time if afirm and consistent protection ofthe dynamic balance between theecosystems that nourish it isachieved. Those of us who practiceaquaculture know that we have toadapt to climate, food and otherchanges consistent with a healthyecosystem.

OCEANIC WEALTH

Christian Berque mentions thatamong the species that Peru cancompete with are scallops (argopecten

Calamar y pulpo.

Bibliographical fishing: An appetising volume on Peruvian «Cebiches» and the Golden Bookof the National Fishery Association.

purpuratos), prawns (litope-naeusvannamei) and tilapia (oreochromisniloticus), considered the fish of thenineties in the United States, whichhas currently given rise to animportant project in the Poechosarea in Piura. Corvina (micropogoniassp.), robalo (centropomus nigrescens)and chita (anisotremus scapularis) arewarm water fish that can becultivated between Tacna and Paita,whereas mero (red grouper)(epinephelus sp.), red pargo (lutjanusguttatus) and congrio (genypterusmaculatos) are tropical water speciesthat can be cultivated betweenMáncora and Puerto Pizarro. Thereis a foreign market for all thesespecies, although there is still nobasic science in this country forbreeding them in captivity.Nevertheless, some foreigncompanies that own hatcheries areinterested in joint ventures with lo-cal entrepreneurs.

«Lenguado» or sole (paralichthysadpersus) requires more attention,since the Morro Sama station(Tacna) of the FisheryDevelopment Fund is about toimplement a project for theeconomically feasible developmentof this species. Yellowfin tuna(thunnus albacares) and large eyetuna (thunnus obesus) are speciesthat develop in water temperaturesthat exceed 20ºC, which can befound on the Tumbes coast.

Salt water artemia (artemia sp.) canbe cultivated in large coastal pondsand in the salt marshes on thePeruvian coast. Used in thehatcheries as feed during the firststages of development of fish andcrustaceans because of its highenergy conversion powers, theadvantage of the artemia is that itcan be placed in dry storage duringits egg stage for long periods oftime.

Extract from the «Editor’s Words» in the«Golden Book on Peruvian Fishing, NationalFishery Association, Lima 2003, 402 pageswww.snp.org.pe snpnet@terra.com.pe

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CHASQUI 9

French philosopher Henri Levi-Strauss,in his book Raw and Cooked, maintainsthat the step from barbarianism tocivilization was taken when primitive manput his hand in the fire to cook his food.Gross mistake. Particularly coming froma Frenchman, since maigret de canard (slicesof semi-raw duck) is one of the main dishesof French haute cuisine. In general, themajority of the most refined cuisine onthe planet includes marvels that have notbeen punished by fire. Raw and Cooked,therefore, are not excluding terms. In itsown way, Peru is also a kingdom of rawfood.

Several thousand years before thesplendour of the Lord of Sipan, theinhabitants of our coast lived almostexclusively off the abundant foodprovided by the Pacific Ocean.Magnificent fish like the mero or corvine,for example, did not need to be treatedby fire to be enjoyed in all their freshness.Fish and seafood straight out of the waterwere often seasoned with chilli and otherhot spices. Nevertheless, once their scalesand bones were removed, they were oftenleft soaking in bitter fruit juice which, inaddition to adding a touch of flavour,served as a marinade.

When the Spaniards arrived in theXVI century, they brought key limes fromNorth Africa, as well as onions and garlic– heritage of the people of theMediterranean coast. This contributioncomplemented the ingredients thatcreated the majestic «cebiche», supremeruler of an entire dynasty of Peruvian rawdishes. Although the popular cebiche, orthe different varieties of cebiche to bemore precise, had decked dining tablesthroughout the Peruvian coast forcenturies, it was Manuel Atanasio Fuen-tes, alias «El murciélago» (the bat) whofirst mentioned it in writing in hisTraveller’s Guide to Lima, published in1866. In his learned Frenchified way,Manuel Atanasio Fuentes launched forthagainst the virtuous cebiche. «Theeminently national dishes that commonersrelish with so much pleasure are spicy hot,but the hottest of all spicy hot dishes whichbrings the most tears to your eyes (afterjealousy) is the seviche». Nevertheless,despite his aversion and contempt, he leftus a recipe of the dish: «It consists of smallpieces of fish or shrimps on which the juiceof bitter oranges is poured, with a lot ofchilli; it is left standing for several hoursuntil the fish is impregnated with the chilliand is practically cooked by the causticaction of the latter and the bitterness ofthe oranges».

There is no doubt that variousvarieties of fish and other seafood

RECIPES

CEBICHE WITH BITTERORANGES

800 grams of sword fish or «tollo deleche» (dogfish)½ kilo of bitter oranges½ tablespoon of crushed garlic1 chilli pepper, seeded and thicklychopped1 large red onion sliced thinly andwashedSalt2 potatoes or maniocs2 purple sweet potatoes, boiled1 ear of corn, boiledLettuce leaves

Chop and wash the fish. Place in abowl and season with the salt, crushedgarlic and orange juice. Add the chilliand stir. Leave standing for 10 minutesand then add the onions. Serveaccompanied with boiled potatoes ormanioc, sweet potatoes and corn.Garnish with lettuce leaves.

TIRADITO AL FRESCO

600 grams of fish filets (corvina)12 ounces of olive oil6 ounces of white vinegar1 teaspoon of crushed garlic2 ounces of lemon juiceSalt2 ears of corn

Slice the fish thinly and place in abowl. Prepare a dressing with thevinegar, lemon, salt, garlic and olive oil.Serve the sliced fish covered with thisdressing and accompanied by corn.

TIRADITO DE AJÍ AMARILLO

800 grams of sole filetsThe juice of 12 lemons1 kilo of chilli peppersMilkSalt, pepper and seasoningCorn

Remove seeds from the chillipeppers and boil for 5 minutes,changing the water three times. Blendwith a drop of oil to form a paste. Slicethe fish into 1/2 centimetre wide strips.Add the salt and seasoning to taste.Stir in the lemon juice, chilli paste,parsley and milk until creamy. Servewith corn and garnish with slices of hotbell peppers and chopped parsley.

TIRADITO DE LENGUADO YPULPO

300 grams of fresh sole cut in strips300 grams of boiled cuttlefish rings100 grams of chopped celery8 sprigs of coriander, choppedThe juice of 10 or 12 green lemonsHalf a «limo» chilli pepper, seeded andthinly sliced1 cup of fish broth¼ teaspoon of crushed garlic

CEBICHE: MONARCH OF RAW FOODAntonio Cisneros

marinated in vinegar, mustard or lemonjuice have formed part of the commongastronomy of the many people living onthe shores of the huge Pacific ocean sinceancient times. However, the quantity,quality and frenzy with which they havebeen incorporated into our gastronomyare difficult to compete with.Consequently, many of my fellowcountrymen are convinced that God isPeruvian and that without a doubt, cebicheis a work of God.

The truth is that there are many waysof preparing cebiche. In other countries theytend to either parboil the fish or soak it inlemon juice until it is practically cooked.Long hours of soaking in lemon juice resultsin bland, insipid food. Different ingredientsare also used. In some areas, magnificentblack scallops are drenched in tomato sau-ce. In others, pieces of avocado, cornpancakes and tomatoes are added to thefish. However, I think the worst sacrilegeof all is to submerge a puny sort of cebichein thick, oily mayonnaise. The real reasonfor this and other unfortunate versions, isthe fear of raw food. A delightful fishdulled by lemon juice and tomato sauce isvirtually an embarrassment, an evilconcealment of the animal’s radiant nature.

That is why fish should be as fresh asfruit. In this case, letting it stand for a fewminutes in the citrus juice is more thanenough. There should be no great delaybetween slicing a good piece of sole, forexample, and taking a bite of it. Eventhough cebiche is generally considered anational heritage, as far as I am concerned,it is on the northern coast of this countrythat it is prepared as it should be: a thinbed of lemon juice, a hint of garlic, salt,hot chilli peppers (with yellow, purple andred skin) and a few, just a few slices ofonion. Sweet potatoes (or manioc) andcorn can be used as garnish, but they arenot essential.

There is also a different variety ofcebiche among us, referred to as «tiradito».The name comes from the word«estiradito» (stretched), because the fishis actually stretched and sliced diagonally,Japanese style. In fact, this dish is alsoconsidered to have Japanese influence. Inthis famous dish, as soon as the fish is putinto the lemon juice, it is slightly coveredwith a yellow chilli cream without anyonions or any other garnish. Besides theclassical fish, i.e. the thousand and onedifferent kinds of fish, cebiche can also bemade of shrimps, prawns, sea urchins,scallops, clams and razor clams. Thegreatness of Peru’s raw dishes is largelydue to the generosity of the Pacific, referredto in the old days as the South Sea.

The fact that the natives always considered food important is expressed in the saga ofthe legendary Naylamp, who arrived on the beaches of what is now Lambayeque witha fleet of balsas and an important entourage, including the Lord’s cook and beveragemaker. The appreciation of a cook’s skills prompted the inhabitants of the Reque areain the north of the country halfway through the XVI century, to elect their head cookEdeco as their chief.

In Peru, every region has a mosaic of local dishes, each one better than the next.The correct preparation of a meal was a constant concern among native people.Consequently, they acquired the ability to dehydrate different kinds of meat – llamas,deer, vizcacha (South American rodent), pigeons and partridges – using complicatedsystems to obtain the product known as «charqui», which was easy to preserve in their«collcas» or storehouses. Likewise, fishermen salted and dried their fish in the sun,together with various species of shellfish and seaweed. Due to the wealth of the marineresources, enough fish were caught to cover the local demand, giving rise to bartertrade between coastal and highland people.»

María Rostworoski. El cebiche en la comida prehispánica(Cebiche in pre-Hispanic food).

3 teaspoons of seasoningSalt and pepper

Place the celery, coriander, chilli,lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic andseasoning in a deep bowl. Stir and letstand for 10 minutes. The juice shouldturn white. Add the fish broth and stir.Place the fish and cuttlefish on aplatter. Stir and strain the mixture overthe fish and cuttlefish.

TIGER’S MILK

100 grams of filets of soleJuice of 10 lemons1 sprig of celery1 «limo» chilli pepper1 clove of garlicSalt, pepper and seasoningCorianderFish broth

Blend the ingredients and addenough fish broth to reduce the acidtaste of the lemon juice. Strain andserve in small cocktail glasses. Smallpieces of fish, fried squid or corn can beadded before serving.

PANTHER’S MILK

30 large black scallops4 large green lemons1 teaspoon of salt1 teaspoon of crushed garlic¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper1 teaspoon of chilli paste1 teaspoon of seasoning

Open the black scallops and reser-ve the pulp and juice. Chop the pulpfinely, add lemon juice, salt, chilli andseasoning. Add the scallop juice andseason to taste. Serve in small cocktailglasses.

Cebiches del Perú. Editor: Walter H. Wust.Texts by Antonio Cisneros, AlejandroFerreyros, Luis Jochamovitz, MaríaRosto-rowski, Raúl Vargas and Walter H.Wust. Backus. Lima, 2004, 186 pp.www.backus.com.pe

See also the multimedia collection Gas-tronomía/Sabores del Perú y del Mundo(Gastronomy/Peruvian and World Flavours)Marking Perú/Diario Correo. Lima, 2004.

CHASQUI 10

ome people maintain that thehistory of Peruvian comic strips

dates back to Guaman Poma de Ayala’sNew Chronicle and Good Government(1615). In fact, it dates back to the endof the XIX century. As an extension ofcaricatures associated to political andsocial satire, comic strips wereincorporated into publications such asthe celebrated Monos y Monadas earlyin the XX century. The first specialcomic strip, Palomilla, appeared in 1940,followed by Clímax (1943). Theprominent author during these firstdecades was Pedro Challe, creator ofGordete y Calambrito.

During the second decade,Peruvian comic strips brought to lifeJuan Santos, an Andean protagonistof endless adventures, as well as Su-per Cholo, a native version ofSuperman. The native Manyute and

A FEW WORDS ABOUTTHE AUTHORGustavo Gutiérrez

uan Acevedo had already ventu-red into writing short stories abouthistory. He now presents us with

an ambitious attempt to give anaccount of Spanish American historynot only for children, but – perhapseven more relevant and difficult – fromtheir point of view, turning them intothe discoverers of a new world.

Their experiences become ourown, their ignorance that which wedare not confess; we experience theirsurprises as though we ourselves werethe characters of this story, their joysrelax us, their sense of humour keepsus alert and cheerful. Entertained,smiling, we walk backwards in timeand forward in knowledge.

Let us not deceive ourselves, however.The ease with which we go back andforth alongside the author indicates hisdemanding and meticulous preparationof the subjects dealt with. An accountcan only be written with such clarity bysomeone who masters the subject. Thetimely reproduction of artistic expressionsand documents of different kinds arefurther proof of this.

There is no doubt that Juan is a skilfulcommunicator. He communicatesdirectly and effectively, but he also leadsus into communion – a term with thesame root as communicate – with a veryhuman and sensitive way of looking atand understanding life.

AUTHOR’S WORDS

The idea of writing this story came tomind in Florencio Varela, an area on theoutskirts of Buenos Aires. It was April of1990 and I was attending the II LatinAmerican Encounter of Poor Children,as an observer. The majority of them werechildren who worked on the streets or athome; poor children from nearly twentycountries. They chatted, laughed,enquired about each other’s lives, gaveaccounts of their own lives, played duringthe breaks, presented and backed uptheir situation during the assemblies. Iwatched them in amazement, marvellingat the different ways they integrated andkept their distance. I listened to theirdifferent Spanish accents and watchedthem overcome their language barriers,even with the Brazilian street children,recognizing themselves within a greateridentity.

This is Latin America, I said tomyself; I have to do something for thesechildren, help their relationships. In mycase, «doing something» nearly alwaysmeans writing a story. I once heard aMexican peasant say that «stories aregifts from God. They allow us to seeourselves». In view of this revelation, Idecided to narrate the history of LatinAmerica for boys and girls, mainly fromtheir point of view.

Juan Acevedo. The history of Spanish Americafrom the point of view of children. Organisationof American States / Spanish AmericanCooperation Secretariat, Volume I, Madrid,2000. Volume II, Madrid 2001. Volume III,Madrid, 2002. Volume IV covers the Viceroyperiod to the present time.

the astronaut Chépar also made theirappearance. Canillita (1950) was thelongest lasting comic strip, eventhough it was not as successful asAvanzada (1953-1967).

Faced with the publicist officialpublications of the seventies, JuanAcevedo burst in with illustrativepublications like Monos y Monadas(second stage), Collera, El Idiotallustrado and No!. Towards the endof the eighties, etiqueta negra andBuum! made a fleeting appearance,prior to a new impetus that resultedin seven issues (1993 – 2000) of theJunior Comic Strip Competitionorganized by the CalandriaAssociation. Recent marginalpublications like Resina, ¡Pánico!,Crash, Boom,Zap!/TuMay Komiks,Carboncito and Pandemonio are stillin circulation. (S. Carrasco).

PERUVIAN COMIC STRIPS

J

A STORY ABOUT HISTORYA forthcoming publication in Spain of the fourth volume of Spanish American History from the point of

view of Children, by the prominent Peruvian author Juan Acevedo.

S

I never imaginedthat the Incaswere so bad!

It’s not thatthey were

bad, Achori!

It is the history ofhumanity. Some peopledevelopedBy dominatingothers….

Fine «development»! Could they not havedone that respecting others?

Well….

That’s what happened. Things werenot that easy.

Easy ordifficult, Iwould notlike to bedominated....

The Incas developed by taking advantage of thecontributions made by the Andean culturesthat preceded them…

.

.....They organised a Pan-Andean state with a moreextensive road network that that of the Roman Empire.

Were the Inca roads the greatestin the world?

Yes

Achori….

Why do you say«they were»? Theyare the greatest roadsin the world!

Stand aside! Herecomes the Inca mail!

A Chaski!

Mitayok?

The Chaskis go to the tampus, which are situated a day’s distance fromone another. They are looked after by the mitayok from a nearby town.

Where do they go?Who looks after them?

When a Chaski arrives, a goodmeal and a drink await him so thathe can build up his strength.

There are hundreds of Chaskis. Each one covers a stretchand passes on the message to another until it reaches itsdestination.

Will he givethe Inca hismessage?

Are you not familiar withthe Inca mail service? Ifyou interrupt their work,

you will be punished!

Why? Is he dumb?

Stop, you fool! He will not reply to yourquestions!Stop!

Achori!

Hello, friend! What news doyou bring? Hasanything serious

occurred?

CHASQUI 11

VOZ PROPIA – LOS DÍAS Y LASSOMBRAS (Independent new edition,Lima, 2003)

Voz Propia is one of the emblematicalgroups of the Peruvian rock scene inrecent decades. Embracing the sameideas ridden with melancholy andhopelessness that characterize its mainAnglosaxon ancestors (from The Cureto Joy Division), the post Punk groupfrom Lima reached its peak in thisalbum, originally published in 1997 andnow in circulation again. Very fewrecords of Peruvian rock bands can belabelled as essential, but this is one ofthem, as is the song that this album isnamed after.

JAVIER ECHECOPAR – THEGUITAR IN PERUVIAN BAROQUEMUSIC (Acem & Aica, 2004)

Javier Echecopar has devoted a largepart of his musical career to bringingout the so-called «music cult» made inPeru. This recovery of some lostbreakthroughs of the Peruvian baroqueguitar not only required a meticulousstudy of manuscripts dating back to theXVIII century (The book by Zif and themusic for guitar book by Matias Maes-

tro), but also a careful exercise ofinterpretation. So far this year, theguitarist has also published two volumessimultaneously, Compositions Volume 1and The best of Javier Echecopar. It isworth mentioning that thesecompositions are interpreted on aJoseph Benedid guitar that dates backto 1812.

ELSA PALAO – TE CANTO MIVIDA (Independent, 2004)

Having performed for over twodecades, interpreter Elsa Palao has

taken advantage of the launching ofher first record as a soloist to thoroughlyreview the foundations of what wecould call her «artistic temperament».Here the singer with a clear, versatilevoice, not only resorts to the essentialcomposers in Peru’s traditional songbook, such as Chabuca Granda, Da-niel «Kiri» Escobar and Alicia Maguiña.Instead, she decided to explore the eversinuous and risky work of putting musicto texts that were originally conceivedas poems rather than songs. TheKenyara trio is responsible for the music,along with other prestigious Peruvianmusicians like Agustin Rojas andLeonardo Parodi.

CHINO CHÁVEZ – FISURAS (L25,2003)

For the past three decades, AlbertoChavez has done just about everythingin the music world. He has performedin bands such as Tiempo Nuevo and TVColor, made a long pilgrimage throughall local stages as a songwriter, beenresponsible for the incidental music oftheatre productions and contemporarydance shows, is the founder of atrademark for recordings of popularrock bands (including Leusemia and

Masacre), has performed with the oldtheatre group Cuatrotablas, was themusical director for Tania Libertad andSusana Baca, has been a producer, andso on….. This CD compiles some ofthe most important work of Chavez inthe artistic world, as well as hiscompositions for «Prometeo» and «Sue-ño de una noche de verano»(Midsummer Night’s Dream), besidesthe contemporary dancing show«Enrevelo» interpreted by dancer KarinAguirre in 2002. Assorted and full ofatmosphere.

TURBOPÓTAMOS (MundanoRecords, 2004)

Peruvian rock has been claiming freshnew independent and innovating voicesfor a long time. This quartet from Limahas been filling a gap within the so-called «new rock». To the beat of a stylethey themselves named «skabilly», acombination of ska and rockabilly (thefavourite subgenus of their leader, thecharismatic Humberto Campodonico,one of the best young guitarists in Peru),the Turbo-pótamos are one of the currentPeruvian bands whose music deservesto be divulged. They will be muchtalked about (Raúl Cachay).

SOUNDS OF PERU

AGENDA

GREAT EXHIBITIONS

This year, Peru also organised three greatexhibitions. The first of these, Perú:Tremila Anni de Capo Lavor held in thePalazzo Strozzi in Florence until lastFebruary, exhibited a noteworthycollection of Pre-Colombian works ofart. The curator was Antonio Aimi,assisted by the National Institute ofCulture.

Another exhibition, Perú indígena yvirreinal, was held in the CataluñaMuseum of Art in Barcelona. It is atestimony of our syncretism, displaying235 pieces, including paintings,sculptures, pottery, silverware, furnitureand others. This exhibition wasorganised by Spain’s State Associationfor Cultural Action Abroad and theNational Institute of Culture. Thecurators were Juan Ossio, JaimeMariaza, Juliana Ugarte Garay and Ra-fael López Guzmán, It will be open untilAugust 15th and will then move to theNational Library in Madrid.

Finally in September, theMetropolitan Museum of New York willwelcome a notable exhibition ofPeruvian Viceroy art, under theresponsibility of Helena Phipps andJohanna Hecht.

III SCIENTIFIC ENCOUNTER

The III International Scientific WinterEncounter – ECIi will be held from 30thJuly until 2nd August 2004. Like theECIv held in the summer, the purposeof this event is to disseminate thescientific breakthroughs of nationalresearchers, reveal the studies beingundertaken at an international leveland strengthen the collaborationbetween researchers in this countryand their colleagues abroad. This IIIEncounter is organised by the NationalTelecommunications Research andTraining Institute. Registration is open.For further information, see web pagewww.cienciaperu.org/eci2004i/

RED LIST

The recent publication of the ICOM RedList of Endangered Latin American Cultu-ral Assets – presented in the NationalMuseum of Anthropology in Lima lastMay 18th, will help police agents topromptly identify cultural objectsreported missing. The Red List is also anappeal to museums, auction houses,merchants and collectors to stop buyingsuch objects. In addition, it fills a gap bywarning about the irreparable effects of

the loss of archaeological assets on theresearch of ancestral uses and customs.In this respect, it is worth mentioning thatthe UNESCO approved the InternationalDeontology Code for Cultural AssetNegotiators, which can be found inwww.unesco.org/culture/legalprotection

IMPORTANT DONATION FORPERUVIAN LIBRARIES ABROAD

Within the framework of the recentCo-operation Agreement for thePromotion of Peruvian Cultural SecuritiesAbroad signed by the Ministry ofForeign Affairs and the San Martin dePorres University, the latter donatedsixty lots of thirty books each from itsPublishing Fund, to be distributedamong our embassies. This is a valuablecontribution that enhances thePeruvian cultural libraries promoted bythe Ministry of Foreign Affairs in itsmissions abroad, which can beconsulted by fellow countrymen andthe public in general. Among the titlesincluded in the donation is an importantseries on Peruvian gastronomy. Forfurther information on the PublishingFund of the San Martín de PorresUniversity, see www.usmp.edu.pe

Arc

hivo

Car

etas.

CHASQUIPeruvian Mail

Cultural Bulletin

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRSSub-secretariat of Foreign Cultural Policies

Jr. Ucayali 363 - Lima , Perú.Telephone: (511) 311-2400 Fax: (511) 311-2406

E-mail: postmaster@rree.gob.peWeb: www.rree.gob.pe

The articles are the responsibility of theirauthors. This bulletin is distributed free of

charge by Peruvian Missions abroad.

Translated by:Doreen Fisher

Printing: Tarea Asociación Gráfica Educativa

Telephone: 424-8104

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

PROMPERÚPeruvian Promotion Commission

Calle Oeste No. 50 - Lima 27Telephone : (511) 224-3279

Fax: (511) 224-7134E-mail: postmaster@promperu.gob.pe

Web: www.peru.org.pe

PROINVERSIÓNInvestment Promotion AgencyPaseo de la República No. 3361

piso 9 - Lima 27Telephone: (511) 612-1200

Fax: (511) 221-2941Web: www.proinversion.gob.pe

ADEXAssociation of Exporters

Av. Javier Prado Este No. 2875 - Lima 27, Telephone: (511) 346-2530

Fax : (511) 346-1879E-mail: postmaster@adexperu.org.pe

Web: www.adexperu.org.pe

CANATURNational Chamber of Industry and Tourism

Jr. Alcanfores No. 1245 - Lima, 18Telephone: (511) 445-251

Fax: (511) 445-1052E-mail: canatur@ccion.com.pe

LA CULTURA CAMBIA EL FUTURODISTRIBUIDOR EXCLUSIVO EN EL PERÚ

PETRÓLEOS DEL PERÚ AL SERVICIO DE LA CULTURA

CHASQUI 12

ANCIENT STYLES

Beat that cajónFinish breaking it

For in the master’s houseThere will never be a shortage

of cajonesFolklore

xperts Fernando Ortiz, FernandoRomero and Nicomedes SantaCruz coincide in pointing out that

the cajón is no more than a hundredyears old and that it reached its apogeeearly in the XX century or no earlierthan the end of the XIX century.

It was probably only then that cajo-nes began being made strictly for musi-cal purposes. Until that time, the cajónwas no more than an «ordinary box»used as a musical accompaniment forcertain Afro Peruvian and Creole songsand dances. They did not have thefinish of current cajones and some ofthose old instruments even sounded asthough they were cracked.

Early in 1900, cajón players did notsit on their instrument. Many of themsat on a chair or a stool and held thebox slightly tilted backward betweentheir legs, leaning against the stool ortheir thighs, whilst they tapped on thefront of the box with their hands.

The percussion box as we know itnow, shaped like a «column» (becauseit is taller than it is wide), is the onereferred to as the Peruvian Cajón. For along time, however, the cajón was notas deep and was laid on its side,therefore it looked wider than it wastall. In order to distinguish one modelfrom the other in this book, we shalluse the term column box.

The Creole cajón gave way as AfroPeruvian music became popular,although it is still being used. Somecajón-makers made a Creole versionwith strings placed in the lower part ofthe box, leaning on the cover to imitatethe sound and system of the rollingdrum or tarola. This version also latergave way to the column box. Somecajones are not parallelepiped, asdifferent geometric shapes and variousmeasurements have been tried.

The Creole cajón is always playedby the drummer sitting on theinstrument, with one leg in the middle,

the box uncovered.When a trio or a group play cajones,

all three boxes tend to have similarmeasurements and they also soundalike. In Cuba, however, cajónorchestras are formed with instrumentsof different sizes and sounds; the largestbox sounds heavier and is called tum-ba, and the one that makes sharpersounds is called quinto. When a cajo-nes group or orchestra is formed in Peru,the one that strikes the basic rhythm isreferred to as cajón llamador and theone that peals or brandishes the tune orplays solos is called repicador. Thisdepends on the role of the player ratherthan on the size or sound of theinstrument. These names stem fromthe functions of membrane drums.The drummers usually carry out thesefunctions by turns. In the old days, themost experienced drummer was the onewho played the «repique» .

Nicomedes Santa Cruz Gamarra,who has been writing newspaper articleson this instrument since the sixties,entitled «His majesty the cajón», tellsus that «as far as the non-industrial ma-nufacture of the current cajón isconcerned, there is a large variety ofstyles and sizes: flat ones with a handle,rather like a James Bond briefcase; largeand clumsy ones like a coffin; somesmall; others varnished, polished,painted white, green, black, or red andwhite like the Peruvian flag; with themonogram of the musical centre or theinitials of its owner; adorned with gilttacks, and so on. No two cajones arealike, although none of the new batchof drummers play them anydifferently». The last line sounds ratherlike a complaint about the appearanceof these new percussionists and the lackof their own style or personality whensitting on their instrument.

Typical Lima party with a peruviancajón, a peruvian cajita and a donkey’sjaw. Photographs: Aníbal Solimano

Rafael Santa Cruz. El cajón afroperuano (Afro-Peruvian Cajón). Cocodrilo Verde Publishers,Lima 2004, 177pages. The book includes amultimedia CD with audio and imageexplanations.

dividing the front of the box in two, sothat half the box is on either side of theleg. Sometimes the right side of theinstrument was used for «duller» beats.

This effect can also be obtained withthe column box, although the player,once seated on the instrument, usuallyspreads his legs, leaving the front of

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Jarana limeña concajón, cajita y quijadade burro. Fotos:Aníbal Solimano /PROMPERÚ

THE AFROPERUVIAN CAJÓN

Rafael Santa Cruz, heir to a great tradition of Afro-Peruvian culture, has published the most completestudy paying tribute to this instrument, which has become the musical icon of our country. Below is a

chapter of his recent book.