More than three decades after their arrival in San Francisco, the Soto brothers opened the Tradición Peruana Cultural Center, located in the Mission District. “The Peruvian community in the Bay Area has grown dramatically in the past 10 years, which makes the presence of this place even more important,” he said. “But this place is open to everyone, both Peruvians and non-Peruvians alike.”
The center, which includes several performance spaces, a dance studio and a computer lab, also serves as a rehearsal space for the Tradición Peruana band in this year's Carnival parade — a true symbol of the Peruvian community's role in the Bay Area's largest Latino cultural celebration.
Currently, there are more lessons and workshops on Peruvian dance and music offered in the Bay Area than ever before. We've gathered the voices of those working to expand Peruvian music and dance throughout the Bay Area, as well as some ways to teach yourself through classes and workshops.
In San Francisco, after the rhythms of the cajón
“The cajon is the main instrument in the Afro-Peruvian musical tradition,” Soto said, holding a simple, microwave-sized wooden box with a hole in the side. When he sits on it and begins playing a rhythm that quickly increases in complexity, the sound of the cajon spreads throughout the many rooms of Tradición Peruana. When he subtly switches up the tempo, it's hard not to want to dance with him.
“The cajon may be simple, but it is an extremely versatile instrument,” said Soto, who has played it almost his entire life. “For us, playing the khajon is a way of life – a philosophy.”
Cajun history also reflects the larger history of the African diaspora in Peru. During the colonial era, the Spanish brought tens of thousands of enslaved Africans to Peru by force. In Lima, leather-bound drums were banned as part of a larger effort to suppress African culture and traditions. In the 16th century, people resisted these prohibitions by looking for alternatives and began using empty wooden chests – of which there were many in the busy ports surrounding Lima – as percussion instruments. Over the following centuries, what this wooden box evolved into has now become an indispensable part of many Peruvian musical traditions, such as the marinera, tondero, and festejo.
Soto teaches cajon at both Tradición Peruana and the nearby Mission Cultural Center for Latin Arts. On a Monday afternoon at Tradición Peruana, he joined his students in a circle, each with his or her own cajon — and as they rehearsed in the center's main exhibition space, which opens onto 22nd Street, the warm afternoon light filtering into the center and the rhythm of the cajon spilling out into the street.
Cajon Lessons with Juan de Dios Soto:
- Mondays and Tuesdays from 6pm to 7pm at the Tradición Peruana Cultural Center, 2815 23rd Street, San Francisco. The center has cajon instruments available for students to use.
- Wednesdays from 6pm to 7pm at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, 2868 Mission Street, San Francisco.
In San Francisco and San Mateo, “Dance of Love”
In the dance studio across the hall from Tradición Peruana's cajon class, Monica Mendoza prepares to lead a class of her own. In her hands, she holds several white handkerchiefs necessary for the Marinaira Norteña, one of Peru's national dances.
Mendoza has been teaching the marinera — a dance she first saw as a young girl in the northern coastal town of Chimbote — for years. A renowned marinera dancer in her own right, she has competed in numerous international competitions and recently became Queen of this year's San Francisco Carnival – a historic competition recently held at KQED headquarters.
“The marinera is a dance of love. It could be love between a couple, two friends, or two children,” Mendoza said. “The idea is to show that on the dance floor to express that message.”
Like the cajun, the marinera was formed by the African diaspora in Peru. But the dance also had a very strong influence on indigenous and European people. In a reflection of the country's enormous ethnic and cultural diversity, each region of Peru has its own variation: marinera limeña, arequipeña, andina, and norteña, Mendoza teaches. “Each person can also add their own individual style to show where they come from and the region they represent,” she said. “And here in the United States, we add our own twists.”
“I love this dance,” said Mendoza, who makes a round trip from San José each time she teaches at Tradición Peruana. When she's not there, she teaches at her own dance academy in San Mateo: Peruvian Expressions.
“I want people – Peruvians and non-Peruvians alike – to learn what this dance represents and the joy it brings,” she said.
Marinera norteña lessons with Monica Mendoza:
- Mondays from 7pm to 8pm at the Traditional Peruvian Cultural Center, 2815 23rd Street, San Francisco
- Multiple weekly classes at Peru Expressions, 1880 S. Grant St., San Mateo. Connect with Mendoza via Facebook to register for the class.
In the East Bay, “Music of the Jungle, Coast and Sierra”
Across the bay in El Cerrito, there's another effort to make Peruvian culture more accessible. For the past few years, dance teacher Diana Angulo has been bringing dancers and musicians to this small Contra Costa County town to offer workshops to the community — outside of her home.
“There are not many Peruvians here, but what we offer is of great value to those who are,” Angulo said We are here.”
What started as informal get-togethers between friends and neighbors evolved into the dance school Con Fuerza Perú Academia de Danzas, which offers classes in marinera norteña and marinera limeña, along with tondero and festejo dances.
“We want to represent the amazing diversity of Peru through what we teach, showing the music of the jungle, the coast and the Sierra,” she said.
Angulo grew up in a musical family in Lima, then immigrated to the United States in the 1990s. When Marina Norteña dances, she said it brings up a lot of memories of Peru — but it also gives her a chance to claim her new home, the Bay Area. She has represented San Francisco in numerous international dance competitions and is currently one of two queens of Club Libertad's San Francisco branch, Club Marinera Norteña, with branches all over the world.
When she's not dancing competitively — or working her separate job full-time — Angulo devotes the rest of her free time to growing the academy. Access to this kind of cultural knowledge through dance should be open to students of all backgrounds — not just Peruvian families, she said.
“Regardless of whether they come from El Salvador, Mexico or Colombia, the idea is to deepen the connections between our community,” she said. “We want to continue to grow the seeds of affection, respect and pride in our cultures.”
Class schedules and offerings for Con Fuerza Perú vary by week. You can contact Angulo through the Con Fuerza Perú website [waiting for Angulo to send best link].
Lessons and other opportunities
At Tradición Peruana, Lidia Soto teaches Afro-Peruvian dance on Tuesdays from 6:30pm to 7:30pm. The center also offers lessons in percussion, guitar, boxing, capoeira and yoga. You can find the full list here.
