A Black Traveler Asks about Being Black in Perú

 At a supper club in Lima, Perú, a female performer came 

to my table to bring me on stage to dance with her.

I often get e-mails from my blog readers asking various questions about what they can expect in references to the places I've traveled. This blog reader; however, appears to be wild and freaky, and I could only give him a frank response from my own personal experience as a “culture vulture:”

“Hey bro. I saw your blog. How do they treat brothas down there. I'll be well dressed, of course. How is the pay for play game (prostitution) and are the Peruvian women open to anal? Also, hotel recommendations would be helpful.”  

Response: What-up, bruh! Yes, racism exists in Perú , but not to the violent extent of the U.S. with its long history of hate crimes and police brutality. In Perú, the racism that I noticed is focused, as a rule, on jobs with the best going to the ones with the whitest skin and the menial to those with the darkest skin. 

However, with your American passport, you are going to be treated as a white person. But if you do what I do when I travel and try to blend in with the local black community, people are going to assume that you are a broke ass, and treat you accordingly.

The better your Spanish-speaking skills, the better your chances meeting women of all colors, especially when they know that you are a gringo with a  pocket full of money. How much of a "freak" she might be depends on the individual woman. Cab drivers can help you find the pay for play games. I did not get involved in that action because my trips were strictly for language and cultural immersion.

In regards to hotels; again, I did not fool with the tourist industry. I stayed in the hood (barrios) where I could be around ordinary, everyday Peruvians and feel a more direct impact of the real culture. 

I would encourage you to go visit tripadvisor.com and ask your questions in the Peru forum. There is also a search engine that can help you find the cheapest flights and hotels that meet your budget.

Colombia, South America's Black Salsa Music Icon

Grupo Niche

This is my favorite salsa band of all time with it's lively, yet suave musical style. The word, Niche (pronounced Knee-Chay), in Colombian Spanish, describes the darkest-skinned black people. The group was founded and lead by the late Jairo Varela, which became the first salsa group to gain a wide international following. Mr. Varela took the salsa music traditions of Puerto Rico, Cuba, and New York and mixed it with the black music of his home province of Chocó in the nation of Colombia leading his band to seven gold and four platinum records.

Maestro Jairo Varela, who pulled himself out of poverty in Quibdó, a tiny village in Chocó on the Pacific coast of Colombia, asserted that his music is not Colombian, but of African influence based in his predominately black province of Chocó.

Jairo Varela

With Varela, who boasted of having the best-paid salsa band in the world, how is it that he could be sentenced to three years in prison for allegedly having business dealings with major drug traffickers? He contended that Colombian prosecutors were willing to believe that his income was ill-gotten because he is black in a country where few black residents have his kind of income. Varela insists that Colombian racism is quite clear.

Even during my own short visit to Colombia, such as in the predominately black and brown City of Cartagena where I noticed that the whiter a person, the better the employment, and the darker, the more menial. I went into banks to do business and saw not one black or brown face; that is with the exception of a security guard.

While in jail, Jairo Varela enjoyed a private cell due to his celebrity status, and was able to manage his band by cell phone. This was in he began thinking deeply about justice and racism, which was reflected in his music. 

A Young Jairo Varela

Despite, Jairo Varela's incarceration, his popularity has not suffered. Mr. Varela  was invited to appear on live television program, where former members of his band performed boleros in Mr. Varela's honor. The show, ''Noche de Luna (Night of the Moon),'' was broadcasted on Spanish-language stations from Canada to Perú. ''People were absolutely convinced of his innocence believing that his wealth and influence got him into trouble with the law in a country that is not ready to accept a successful black man.

Below is a song Jairo Varela wrote while incarcerated. The song is about being away from all of his loved ones and that “freedom is a treasure whose value you don't know until you've lost it.''

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Happy Afro-Peruvian Heritage Month!

On June 3, there was a grand celebration of Afro-Peruvian Cultural Day with tasty "comida criollos" (Peruvian soul food), black artifacts with a homage to the Mother of Afro-Peruvian dance and theater, Victoria Santa Cruz. 

The late Rinaldo Campos, founder of the of the 

internationally acclaimed Perú Negro dance troupe.

This is the main square (Plaza de Armas) of El Carmen, Perú where I stayed during my Peruvian visits. This is the hub of Afro-Peruvian culture. 

A child playing the cajón in celebration of Black Heritage.

What we in the United States call "soul food," Afro-Peruvians call it "comida criolla." recipes passed down through generations since slavery. 

I am about to chow down on a "seco de cordero" (dried lamb stew) consisting of lamb, rice, beans, potatoes, carrots, and ají (chili peppers).

Victoria Santa Cruz, the Mother of Afro-Peruvian dance and theater. 

Below is her husband, Nicomedas Santa Cruz, poet, composer, journalist, and folklorist. 

Amador Ballumbrosio, the Godfather of Afro-Peruvian music and dance.