The "Toros de fuego" and "Torito Pinto" (part 1)

It’s a dark night, around 10pm.  The streets are full of people and everyone seems excited.  The crowd is mostly adults.  Some bars have set up tables outside, and many people are drinking – tinto de verano (red wine mixed with soda), beer, what have you.

There is a noise in the distance, and a faint glow.  Someone calls out, “it’s coming, it’s coming.”

Pretty soon, the noise becomes a surge of shouts, mingled with laughter and the sound of fireworks.

Then you see it:  a small, black bull shooting fireworks in all directions, running down the street then turning and heading towards the crowd, then running down the street again.  Most people clear the way in front of it, but a few hardy souls, mostly young men, stand their ground or run along with it, trying to get closer, trying to touch it without letting the fireworks touch them.

There are five bulls in this "Toros de fuego" in Arroyomolinos in Leon (in Spain).  It honors the Virgin de los Remedios.

This is a great example, accompanied by a musical track.

As the bull gets closer, you see it has only two legs, legs that look suspiciously like they belong to a human being.  And indeed, that is what it is:  the metal frame of a bull, with all kinds of fireworks attached to it, held up by a man running down the street.

This is the “toro de fuego,” the “fire-bull,” that you find in both Spain and Latin America to help celebrate certain saint’s days and other special occasions.

This one takes place in Igualala (Spain) in a central plaza, so brightly lit you hardly know it’s night.

Museo afropeurnao de Zaña, Peru

The final cultural organization I want to write about is the Museo afroperuano de Zaña.  Located in the city of Zaña, in the northern coastal region, it has been extremely active over the past several years in activities intended to preserve and publicize Afro-Peruvian culture, including the music and dance.

Founded in 2005, their first major effort was the reconstruction of one of the percussion instruments developed by Afro-Peruvians, a drum called the tambour de botija.  "Botija" means "treasure."  It´s a bit unclear to me if they mean these instruments are treasures, or if it refers to one specific kind of drum.

In any event, they made a video in which people, mostly youth, are playing various of the drums and other percussion instruments of the Afro-Peruvian community, plus there is some dance, including a long section of the Dance of the Devils (son de los diablos).  It´s pretty interesting.

More recently, the museum (which is also very much of a cultural organization) began promoting a come-back of the percussion instrument called the "checo," made out of a gourd which has the same name.  This included planting the vine on which the checo grows, turning the gourds into percussion instruments, giving classes in its use, making a video about it, and petitioning the Peruvian government to declare the checo a national, cultual treasure.

And even more recently, they have published a book about Afro-Peruvian musical instruments.  This organization is definitely doing a lot to maintain Afro-Peruvian culture, and rescue some elements that were about to disappear.

OUR NEXT POST will announce that for future information about Afro-Peruvian culture, and other aspects of cultural diversity on which we focus, you should go to the blog Palomino Productions.

Centro Cultural Afroperuano San Daniel Comboni de el Carmen, Peru

The Centro Cultural Afroperuano San Daniel Comboni de el Carmen, Peru (SEE ALSO this LINK) is located, not surprisingly, in the largely Afro-Peruvian town of El Carmen, in the southern coastal region of Peru.  Its focus is on maintaining the traditional Afro-Peruvian celebration of Christmas and the related celebration of the Virgin of Carmen, both of which include the groups of dancers referred to as the hatajos de negritos.

In addition, the center wants to promote pride of self in the Afro-Peruvian community, and support the educational and cultural needs of Afro-Peruvians.

The center offers music and dance classes.  Here, kids are learning some zapateo steps.  So this is how you do it!


And here´s a video of some more of their activities.  This was to celebrate Book Day, to promote reading, and includes children´s performing.  Cute.



The traditional Afro-Peruvian Christmas celebration, and the celebration of the presumed appearance of the Virgin of Carmen on Dec. 28, along with the participation in both of the celebrations of the hatajo de negritos, are among the most important expressions of Afro-Peruvian identity.  Firmly grounded in the Catholic religion, these celebrations are centuries old.

As our documentary film, A Zest for Life, explains, the hatajo de negritos were on the verge of disappearing.  A recently deceased master of the dances performed by the hatajos, Amador Ballumbrosio, deserves credit for being a major force in assuring their continued preservation.  His family, along with Margarita Cordoba and others such as Edith Maldonado and Carlos O. López Schmidt, have undertaken to continue his work in the present day.

OUR NEXT POST will be about the Museo Afroperuano de Zaña