Search - Various Artists :: World Network Vol. 44, Peru: A Mi Patria

A Mi Patria focuses its attention on the mestizo music of coastal and Andean Peru, a music rich in European influences and yet having clear tracks back to the slaves brought there, and to the indigenous population of the region. The album traces the singers of songs; the small instrumental groups of violins, charango, mandolin, and harp; the ensembles of quena (flutes) and cajon (the deep, rich percussion box); and the more contemporary groups that have replaced the fiddles with brass instruments. Most of the tracks were recorded in very simple form by WDR, the Berlin radio station that has spearheaded the world-music movement in central Europe, giving you a unique chance to hear famous artists like Susana Baca, Alturas, and Carmen Florez. There are also commercial recordings by the remarkable fiddler Maximo Damian and his group that are extraordinary. --Louis Gibson