PERU FOLKLORE

              Hundreds of years of ethnic and cultural mixing has created a rich musical landscape across Peru. Typical instruments include the Andean flute and pan-pipes (Quena and Zampoa), the Cajon drum used in Afro Peruvian music, and the traditional Spanish guitar. Peru is home to thousands of dances of pre Inca, Andean and mestizo origin. The southern Andean region is famous for the Huayno.

Arequipa is the proud creator of the famous Yaravi, a melancholy style of a capella singing that evokes the solitude of the mountains. Probably the most well known song of this style is "El Condor Pasa", a traditional Peruvian song popularized in the United States by the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel and featured in the movie "The Graduate". The original composition consists of a Yaravi, followed by an inca "pasacalle" and a Huayno fugue, three traditional inca rhythms. The Huaylars, by contrast, is a cheery, rhythmic style from the central Andes.

The coast has a different feel to its music than its Andean counterpart. Primarily Spanish in origin, coastal culture combines traditional European rhythms such as the flamenco and the waltz with Creole, African and Gypsy influences to create the wide range of styles we hear today. Lima's most well known musical style is the Vals Peruano (Peruvian Waltz), popularized by the great Chabuca Granda. She is widely considered the most important composer of Coastal Creole music, with such songs as La Flor de La Canela, Fina Estampa, and Jos Antonio. Other commonly known Vals Peruano tunes are: Alma Corazon y Vida, Odiame, Mi Propiedad Privada, El Plebeyo, and Devuelveme El Rosario de Mi Madre, some of which are sung by Caribbean artists in the Bolero or Salsa version.

Afro Peruvian it's awsome :

NORTH,CENTER AND SOTH...

 By plane from Lima and Arequipa, or by train across the altiplano from Cusco, is Puno, Peru's and south american FOLKLORIC CENTER, with a rich array of handicrafts, costumes, traditional dances, fiestas and markets. The mysterious, circular chulpas of Sillustani, burial chambers of the Aymara Indians, lie 20 miles outside the town.
Puno is the stepping-off point for exploring the region's amazing array of islands, Indian inhabitants and colorful traditions. The best-known are the Uros people who live just offshore on floating islands made of totora reed. From Puno, visitors can cruise across lake Titicaca to Bolivia.

It is a city on the shores of the Titicaca lake at about 3800 meters above sea level. The Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world and is shared by Peru in its western side and Bolivia in the eastern. The mythical Titicaca is the spot where according to oral tradition Manko Qhapaq and his wife, the founders of the Inka civilization appeared. Puno is located in the ancient Collasuyo of the Incas, the Altiplano (high plateau) a broad territory between 3800 and 4200 meters. The inhabitants of the Collasuyo speak mostly Aymara, the old language rivaling the Inkas' Quechua. The air is somewhat rarefied due to the high altitude and its consequent lack of oxygen so try to take it easy when staying around here.
The Puno City was founded by the Spaniards in 1668 and was an important point serving the colonial administration. It has many remains of colonial architecture and specially churches like the one of Lampa that contains nice pieces of art. Today Puno is considered as the Folklore Capital of Peru due to the diversity of folk dances(Caporales,diablada,tinkus,kullawada,llamerada,waka-waka,morenada, and more...) and music existing in the region; their top festivity is during the week of the Candelaria Virgin by February, a whole week of dancing, singing and drinking .

The main attractions in the area are:

The Uros Islands: they are small floating islands artificially built with totora reeds (the natural reeds growing in the lake). They are inhabited by small organized communities; the Uros people are mainly fishers and hunter of marine birds; but they even have small farmlands in those floating lakes for growing different vegetables.

well Afro Peruvian   music is most commonly performed by duos of Creole guitars, the Cajon and spoon rhythms. African derived rhythms like the Festejo or Land are common in the black communities of the southern coast. Susana Baca is a renowned singer and composer of Afro Peruvian music. She won a Grammy award in 2002 for her album Lamento Negro.

The Marinera is the National Dance of Peru, named in honor of the marines who fought against the Chilean military in the War of the Pacific. Among Peruvians of the coast, it is considered as traditional and representative as the Tango is to Argentina. Many people take classes and look forward to the annual Marinera Festival held in the city of Trujillo every July, with thousands in attendance. Lambayeque and Piura are also known for their marineras and tonderos.

Lima is famous for the [[Se�or de los Milagros Procession]] and Bullfighting, which takes place in Plaza de Toros Acho (the oldest bullfighting venue of the Americas). Considered the largest procession in South America, congregating devotees from all over the country, the Se�or de los Milagros or Lord of Miracles Procession takes place during October. During the whole month, known as the mes morado -or purple month-, minor observations in honour of the patron (whose colour is purple) are celebrated. The main event occurs the 18th: dressed in purple habits, hundreds of thousands of devotees sing and pray while accompanying the image on its 24-hour route from the Nazarenas temple to La Merced church in the Barrios Altos district.