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.

RELEASE PARTY in La Peña, Fri. Jan. 20 at 8pm

Ok, you San Francisco Bay Area residents, it's time to mark your calendars and to set the evening of Friday, Jan. 20 starting at 8pm (THIS COMING FRIDAY) for our release party.  The release party will be at la Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley (3105 Shattuck Ave.).  Cost is $15 at the door, but $12 if you purchase in advance...students and seniors get a discount.  And here's the LINK with information as to how to purchase in advance.

We've listed this event and posted photos and trailers in a number of places, including HERE.  Of course, you can also go to our web site LINK and/or to the la Peña calendar page LINK to find out more about it.

Bottom line is just that you BE there when we start the program...which will consist of the screening of the documentary, a live performance by de Rompe y Raja, the performance group featured in the documentary, and for those so inclined, a mini-lesson in Afro-Peruvian zapateo footwork.  Fun.

Juan Omar Medrano Cotito (PHOTO:  Oscar Champi Echegaray)

In the documentary, among other things you will learn about some of the percussion instruments that Afro-Peruvians have contributed to the musical world.  You see four of these in the photo above, all of which figure in one way or another in the documentary.  Those four are the Afro-Peruvian cajón, the quijada de burro, the cajita and the checo.  Each one has a very distinctive sound and if you put them all together, it´s pretty cool.

The cajita is not restricted to Afro-Peruvian music, although that's where it comes from.  Here's a percussion trio -- definitely not Afro-Peruvians (and no, the shekere is not Afro-Peruvian either, but the cajón in this video is).  Looks like they are having a good time.




SO--come out to the release party, and join us.

OUR NEXT BLOG will be about the release party, after it occurs.