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Eva Ayllon, the Afro-Peruvian singer who now lives in Paterson, will team with Albita for a Thursday night show at Town Hall in New York.
(Handout photo)
By Marty Lipp/For The Star-Ledger
It's not quite a "Game of Thrones"-like royal intrigue, but the Queen of Afro-Peruvian Music lives thousands of miles from her countrymen — in Paterson.
Eva Ayllon, 58, who has sung the traditional music of Peru since she was a girl, moved to New Jersey six years ago to be with her husband. These days, she lives a two-country existence. In fact, she lately has been spending additional time in Peru as a coach on that country's version of "The Voice," but is coming back for a show in Manhattan with the Cuban singer Albita.
"We have known each other for years, and whenever we had the chance to meet, we would say we have to collaborate," she said of herself and her co-star. "We both have a lot of things to say through our music — and we both walk with the rhythm."
The singers — both of whom have the kind of voice and charismatic presence that can fill a room — will each perform a solo set with their usual percussion-heavy bands, then will sing as a duo.
"We're both female warriors," Ayllon said. While Albita struggled against the Cuban government, eventually defecting to the United States, Ayllon said her struggle resulted from being a black woman trying to make a musical career for herself in Peru. "Because of my fighting spirit, I was able to keep growing."
Today, though Ayllon said she is "still fighting," she has reached iconic status in Peru and, on "The Voice," coaches both young adults and children. "I have been able to reach out to all social strata and all ages because of the show," she said. "So my reach is bigger than I ever thought before."
She has also been named as an official cultural ambassador for her native land, for which, she said, "I am very honored and very proud." She noted that at the Town Hall concert, there will be tables promoting Peru's culture and tourism.
Ayllon learned the form of Peruvian music known as musica criolla from her grandmother and, as a young girl, sang the folk styles that were mainstays in Peruvian life. She began to sing at school and in competitions, then moved on to television, radio and nightclubs called penas.
In 1995, her inclusion on a compilation of Afro-Peruvian music distributed by David Byrne's Luaka Bop label brought her international attention. She has received six Latin Grammy nominations, giving her the mixed honor of having the most nominations without a win.
Musica criolla was originally an exclusive product of black Peruvians who were brought to the country during slavery. Like Cuba's original rumba, the music is dominated by percussion and vocals, but has been updated by contemporary musicians. Performers often use the cajon, which was originally a simple wooden box that a player sat on while pounding the side between his legs.
Even if the music was not always on television or the radio, she said, it was ever present at weddings and parties. One song style, the hypnotically percussive landA3, typically features call-and-response singing and dancers making pelvic thrusts, which is partially why it originally was deemed too suggestive by the country's upper crust.
In conjunction with a black pride movement in the 1960s, interest in the music was revived, and it has become a mainstay in the country's cultural landscape. The styles, Ayllon said, "are the soul of Peru."
Eva Ayllon and Albita
Where: Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd St., New York
When: Thursday at 8 p.m.
How much: $55 to $65; call (800) 745-3000 or visit ticketmaster.com.