Oscar Villanueva Martínezenjoys an artistic career of more than thirty years, characterized by the fusion of contemporary and afroperuvian dance and percussions.

Coming from a family of great Afro-Peruvian artists, he made his debut as a child in the world of entertainment. He was first part of the internationally recognized Peru Negro Company, led by its founder, his uncle Ronaldo Campos. He also learned from his uncles and aunts, the Peruvian composer and percussionist Caitro Soto and singer Susana Baca (Latin American Grammy 2002 and 2011).

Oscar has learned contemporary dance and theater through experience and formal courses and then lived five years in Belgium where he taught and learned in contact with artists from all over the world. His artistic work is the result of these cultural fusions.

Music and Theatre

Dance

Peru Negro Company:Dancer and percussionnistSince childhood with the children’s component of the company and beginning as a teenager in the professional company until 1991.

Matalache (TV series):Ulysses character, head of the rebel slaves1988

Millenium Theatre Company :Co-founder and former choreographic director. Invited performer afterSince 1995

Asu Mare Comic Show:Percussionnist and tap dancer with famous Peruvian comic Carlos AlcantaraSince 2009

Olodum Afroperu: Founder, author and artistic director of dance-theatre show « Bajo la Luna » (Under the Moon)Since 2011 (presentation in Yuyachkani Theatre, Lima and in festivals; acclaimed by the public.

Artistic Training: • Folk Dances, tap, percussion, afroperuvian culture and history, through

Peru Negro Company (1979-1991)• Theatrical expression and arts: intensive workshops with Peruvian

teachers (actors Reynaldo Arenas, Jackson Valdivia Germán Vega Garay, 1987)

• Contemporary Dance: Lima Dance School Pata de Cabra (1995-2000)• Critics arts workshops, Cultural Centre of Spain (2010)

Mentions: • “Black Rhythms of Peru: Reviving African Musical Heritage in the

Black Pacific”, Heidi Carolyn Feldman, éditions Weislan, 328 pages (2007)

• “The Aestheticization of Tradition: Professional Afroperuvian Musicians, Cultural Reclamation, and Artistic Interpretation”, Javier Francisco León Quirós, PhD Thesis Dissertation, The University of Texas at Austin (2003) (http://www.lib.utexas.edu/etd/d/2003/leonquirosjf032/leonquirosjf032.pdf)

• L’or noir du Pérou, Daniel Ritière (www.danielritiere.com/fr/?p=18) (2005)• El cajón, El Dorado magazine, Government of Peru’s promotion

institution Promperu (1999)

Percussions: • Cajón, cajita (little box), quijada (donkey’s jaw), congas, bongo,

djembé, minor percussions

Dances: • Traditional Coast of Peru (Afro-Peruvian descent) and

afrocontemporary

Teaching: • University Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Music and

Afroperuvian dances (1997-2012).• Primary and secondary school teacher in private schools as an teacher

in afroperuvian dances and percussions, tap and body expression, “integral arts ” teacher (incl. Arts and crafts, instruments made out of recycled material) (1999-2012)

• National Superior Folklore School José Maria Arguedas, afroperuvian dance teacher for the professional programme (1991-1998); choreographic advisor at Festival Cervantes of Mexico (1993).

• Specialized training and workshops: Millenium Theatre Company (1995-2000); Yuyachkani Theatre (since 2006); Llampallec Folkloric Group

• (2011); University Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (2012); University Científica del Sur (2013).

• Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium) and cultural centres in Louvain, dance and percussions teacher (2000-2005).

Contacts: • Producer/Manager: Pascale Thivierge• (819) 639-0136• cajonfusion@gmail.com• www.cajonfusion.ca• www.olodumafroperu.com/oscar-villanueva

Languages: • Spanish (mother tongue) and French (fluent)