Peruvians love listening to music and dancing. Everywhere you go there is music playing. In 2019, the Institute for Studies in Peru, abbreviated IEP, published a report on Peruvians' relationship to music. According to this, four out of ten respondents listen to music very often, mostly young people between the ages of 18 and 24. Young people primarily find their music via their cell phones on digital platforms such as YouTube or Spotify.
The following genres of music are preferred:
1. Salsa – 21%
2. Cumbia – 18%
3. Huayno – 13%
4. Ballads – 7%
5. English skirt – 5%
6. Spanish Rock – 4%
7. Reggaetón – 4%
8. Música criolla – 2%
9. Other – 17%
10. Don't know - 2%
This is the result at national level. Of course there are differences depending on the region and level
socioeconomic differences. I was surprised that salsa is said to be the new favorite of Peruvians. Broken down by region, this style of music is heard primarily in Lima (31%), while Huayno (27%) is most popular in the highlands. In the jungle, cumbia is most popular (27%) and on the rest of the coast, preferences are divided between salsa (24%) and cumbia (24%).
The origin of Andean music
Peruvian Andean music consists of a variety of musical styles that have their origins in pre-Columbian times, although today's forms contain Western influences. The so-called "indigenous" Because of its atmospheric solemnity and characteristic instrumentation, music from the Andes has a large fan base worldwide, and numerous groups also practice this genre in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina (from Wikipedia).
Click me: Anne's favorite songs Peru
I live in the Peruvian Andes. Personally, I like Andean, folk music. I like how they dance exuberantly to Huaynos (String Karma, Aguas Claras). The sounds that are unfamiliar to European ears are more than popular here. The song “A los Reales de Cajamarca” by the Cajamarca group “Yumpay” is a homage to life in this special place.
Carnival
A song from the famous Cajamarquinan carnival by the most famous of the performers “Don Guillermo y su Conjunto” could not be missed. This rhythm is played endlessly here in the Andes of Cajamarca during the carnival season, the songs reflect the joy of life and the carnivalists' drumming often only fades away in the early hours of the morning.
(Video by Anne Amaru)
This type of music is used to dance around trees (Yunza) decorated with gifts, clothing and decorations during the carnival season, which lasts at least a month in our region. The villagers dance around it in pairs until one of the couples falls the tree. This couple has to organize next year's Yunza.
Peruvian folklore
A great example of pop groups or artists who perform sophisticated Peruvian folklore or "Música Andina" Playing are Antologia, Alborada, Antares and William Luna.
Creole music
The Creole music that is most often heard on the coast is exemplified by Eva Ayllón, who is much revered there. Wikipedia describes her as "the greatest representative of Peruvian music."
The song and video below was created for the Bicentenary of Peru. The Peruvian percussionist, composer, arranger, record producer and bandleader Tony Succar teamed up with Daniela Darcourt, Eva Ayllón and Renata Flores. I like how Peru in the latest interpretation of "Arriba Perú" is celebrated, a very successful mixture of salsa, Creole music and “trap”. in Quechua!
As other important performers of the Creole genre, you will find the Hermanos Zañartu and Oscar Aviles with the song "Mi Peru" on my playlist, composed by the famous Peruvian composer Manuel Raygada Ballesteros. If you like this music, you can discover a lot here!
La Marinera Norteña
La Marinera Norteña is a national cultural expression of Peru recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The song "La Concheperla" on my playlist is the most famous one. It's actually a dance, but of course also a style of music, which I don't want to leave unmentioned here. Known nationally and internationally, she is at the center of one of Peru's most famous artistic events: the annual National Marinera Competition in Trujillo. The city is known as the "capital of the Marinera" well known, but the dance delights the entire nation, including the little ones, as you can see in my video (here in Cajamarca).
(Video by Anne Amaru)
The new "Quechua music wave
I find the emerging fusion of different rhythms from the music genres rock, blues, pop, rap and even trap with lyrics sung in Quechua, the native language, to be a very interesting development and creative idea. Given the wide range of Spanish and English-language music available, some Peruvian artists have fused traditional Andean genres with the styles preferred by new generations. Quechua is spoken by 8 million people in South America and is often not used for fear of discrimination. The use of the "language of the Incas" could help unite the old and the new world. The rock group Uchpa has inspired a new generation of Peruvian singers: Renata Flores, Ruby Palomino and Liberato Kani.