That screening of A Zest for Life in la Peña -- looking back

I'd fully intended this blog to be about Caitro Soto, but since I got very, very busy with the screening party for A Zest for Life, and it's now taken place (leaving me with some great photos taken by Hershell West), I'm going to save Caitro Soto for NEXT time.

Audience preparing to go home after the show is over.

 First of all, I want to thank everyone who helped and/or participated in the event:  la Peña Cultural Center (our venue) including staff and volunteers,  my daughter Lucy Armentrout (who manned the selling booth), Hershell West (our MC), Gabriela Shiroma (manager of the performing group) and de Rompe y Raja (the performers).

MC Hershell West and filmmaker Eve A. Ma

 Why am I talking about  performers in relation to the screening of the documentary?  Because we made this a real PARTY.  We screened the documentary.  We gave a mini-lesson in Afro-Peruvian zapateo footwork to one brave and talented soul, and we had a live performance.  The performers, de Rompe y Raja, are the people who performed in the documentary.

Some of the dancers from de Rompe y Raja.

Mustn't forget the musicians!

 And in spite of the weather -- lots of rain, lots of wind, one of those evenings -- we had a very good audience.  The audience also liked the documentary, they liked the performers, they liked the fellow learning zapateo (I forgot to get his name).  They applauded at many moments, they purchased DVDs and CDs, they came up to talk to yours truly and to de Rompe y Raja's director, Gabriela Shiroma.

And the kids playing the cajon, singing, and dancing.

Learning Afro-Peruvian zapateo on stage.

 So if you missed this event, enjoy these photos.  In addition, we will probably do another event of this kind in San Francisco, possibly as early as this summer.  We'll keep you informed.

My daughter Lucy Armentrout at the selling table during intermission.

We'll end with our star, Lalo Izquierdo, playing the cajon.

We'll end our series of photos with this one.  Since the entire program was about Afro-Peruvian music and dance, even though Lalo Izquierdo wasn't present (he's in Peru), we should end with an Afro-Peruvian playing an Afro-Peruvian musical instrument.

OUR NEXT BLOG will be about Caitro Soto, another recently deceased great in Afro-Peruvian traditional music.