#peruvian

[thejawsdevour]

Lika Mutal (Dutch-Peruvian) - Labyrinth In Situ (pink travertine, 1992)

[baebeylik]

Abstract Portrait Vessel of a Ruler with Painted Face Resting on Feet. Peru, 100 BCE to 500 CE.

The Art Institute of Chicago.

[postcard-from-the-past]

Bolognesi Monument in Lima, Peru

Peruvian vintage postcard

[worldchallenge]

🌍 World Challenge #4 🌏 Peru El Polen - Fuera de la ciudad

Week #4 2026/07/12

🇵🇪 Peru 🇵🇪 El Polen - Fuera de la ciudad

About this project

Atozu's Review of 'Fuera de la ciudad' by El Polen

🌍 World Challenge 🌏 Week #4 2026/07/12 🇵🇪 Peru 🇵🇪 El Polen - Fuera de la ciudad https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/atozu/list/561380/-wo

Greeting my fellas, sorry for such a long break. I think I had the need to immerse myself fully in the Brazilian music scene, and it’s so huge I could stay there for even a year. This time we’re going to Peru! (The country of perro peruano sin pelo 🤓☝️)

The first thing that needs to be said is that Peru is characterized by great ethnic diversity. Its population includes mestizos – people of mixed race – Afro-Peruvians – the descendants of black slaves – and indigenous people – the original inhabitants of Peru, whose culture dates back thousands of years before the Spanish conquest. There are also Japanese Peruvians (ahem, ahem, Fujimori), but we do NOT talk about Japanese Peruvians. 

The music of this country is just as diverse as its population. For example, Música criolla (Peruvian Creole music) is a genre that’s influenced by Spanish, Black and Andean culture. It’s a symbol of the Peruvian coast, the area where Lima is situated. One of the most famous singers of this genre is Chabuca Granda. There’s also Música afroperuana – music rooted in the culture of black Peruvians. The icon of this genre is Susana Baca, who was even the Minister of Culture. 

There’s also a genre we’re going to talk about today – Indigenous Andean Music. It’s a music developed by the indigenous peoples of the Andes – especially those of Inca origin. It’s characterised by the use of the traditional, pre-spanish instruments, such as pan flute or quena. The instrumental range in this genre also includes instruments of European origins, for example violin, lute, or charango – an Andean modification of Spanish string instruments. A great example of this genre is the music of El Polen - the group I chose to talk about.

What is El Polen? It’s a musical duo that consists of two brothers, Raúl and Juan Luis Pereira, and started in the early 1970s. What’s interesting, the members have a rock origin – they were both a part of a rock band Los Shain's. However, one day they decided to make music that was more spiritual and more rooted in the culture of Peru. Their distinct style was born around the time they moved from Lima to Cuzco in search of inspiration. Here’s an important thing – Lima is the official capital of Peru, however Cuzco is the historical and cultural one. While Lima was established by the Spanish conquestors, Cuzco was the heart of the Inca empire, and it is still mostly inhabited by the indigenous people. Another important moment for El Polen was when they were discovered by Los Jaivas – a highly influential Chilean rock band that also incorporated Andean traditions into their music. I even talked about them in one of the previous episodes! El Polen was even invited by Los Jaivas to play in Chile; that event brought them some popularity. After that, they created their most important album – “Fuera de la ciudad” (“Outside the city”). 

While Los Jaivas make rock music with a touch of Andean sound, “Fuera de la ciudad” has an opposite approach. It’s an album that tries to capture the spirit of Andean music as much as possible, but with subtle elements of psychedelia, rock and contemporary folk. For example, many of the melodies would sound absolutely rock-like if they were played on electric guitar. The psychedelic elements are present in the dreamlike mix of the instruments and in the chanting vocals. 

The album is built around the two most important tracks - “Concordancia” (“Concordance”) and “El hijo del Sol” (“The Son of the Sun”). The first one opens the album and shows a wide range of instruments. The violin is in the foreground, in the background we hear a couple different string instruments and some unusual rhythm instruments. There’s also a harmonica, or at least something that sounds like it, which sometimes plays the vocal melody lines. It’s a great track with a lot going on, but which fills with inner peace. 

“El hijo del Sol” is by far the longest song, lasting almost 14 minutes. It’s definitely my favourite one – I don’t think a single minute was wasted. It’s got a progressive structure, as it consists of a couple different parts that switch between each other very naturally. After the intro, which builds some tension, we hear the beautiful main melody – first played on violin, then chanted by a group of people. This sung chorus comes back once again after four minutes. During this break, a new melody is introduced; it’s much more relieving than the one in the chorus. This melody is played alternately on quena – an Andean flute – and violin; these switches sound like the instruments are responding to one another. Then the chorus comes back and it’s even more majestic than before – it feels more satisfying and the instrumental seems a bit richer.

We also have three shorter songs that last only 10 minutes in total. “Mi Cueva” (“My Cave”) is a soothing song with a great usage of quena. “A las orillas del Vilcanota” (“On the banks of Vilcanota”) is a more energetic track in the Huayno genre, which is a type of dance music. “La Puna” is a really nice outro – it’s a short instrumental piece that paints an image of a mountaintop using a field recording of the sound of the wind.

“Fuera de la ciudad” is a great insight into the traditional Peruvian music, and the album itself is just lovely. Though this music is rooted in Inca culture, I – a mere gringo – found it surprisingly accessible. Cuzco for the win!

Some other important Peruvian artists (recommended by an anonymous Tumblr comrade):

Chabuca Granda

Susana Baca

Yma Sumac

[worldchallenge]

World Challenge #4 soon!

We're going to Peru

[thejawsdevour]

Ana Teresa Barboza (Peruvian) - Pulso del viento (tapestry in cotton thread, sheep and alpaca, dyed with natural dyes, with embroidery on digital photography on cotton paper, 2023)

[worldchallenge]

Chabuca Granda is one of the most famous singer songwriters of Peru. Probably her most famous is La Flor de la Canela the title track unoficcialy is adopted as a national song

There is also Yma Sumac who had an impressive vocal range and staggering vocal control

And also Eva Ayllon afrolatina legend who also has paid homage to Chabuca Another affroperuvian icon is Susana Baca

Thank you very much! Gotta check them out

[polvode-angel]