• De Rompe y Raja. Photo: RJ Muna
  • Val Serrant

Full: De Rompe y Raja

Programmed by Mahealani Uchiyama

 

This local ensemble brings us Afro-Peruvian music and dance from the coastal areas of Peru, where indigenous, African, and European influences intersect. “When a Peruvian says, ‘este lugar esta de rompe y raja,’ this means ‘this place is off the chain,’” says founder Gabriela Shiroma. “It’s a typical way to explain to others that if you’re looking for a good time, you’ve come to the right place.”

Preceding De Rompe y Raja will be a short performance by Val Serrant. Serrant is a master of a wide variety of traditional musical instruments popular in his native Trinidad. In addition to the steelpan, he is celebrated for his skill in other African instruments such as the kalimba, shekere, djembe, talking drum and numerous other percussion instruments.