She’s capable of packing a stadium of 30,000 people back
home in South America, but now vocalist Eva Ayllon is looking to
fill a venue that holds fewer than 2,000 people in the United
States.
The Peruvian vocalist will come to Royce Hall on Oct. 10 as part
of UCLA Live. A popular veteran of the Peruvian music scene, Ayllon
is touring North America in support of her latest release
“Eva! Leyenda Peruana” (“Eva! The Peruvian
Legend”). The release is her first ever in the United
States.
Ayllon’s career spans over three decades, and she has
produced more than 20 albums. With roots in the Afro-Peruvian
musical tradition of the southern coast of Peru, she has
established herself as a leading interpreter of the country’s
“musica criolla” (creole music), a blend of
Peru’s indigenous, African and Spanish musical heritage. She
is also known for singing Afro-Peruvian staples such as the lando
and the festejo, as well as the vals, a local derivative of the
waltz.
Ayllon’s success can be attributed in part to her
willingness to evolve with the shifting landscape of Peruvian
music. She has been celebrated for mixing more traditional rhythms
with updated sounds.
“Everything was originally played with only a guitar and
cajol (a wooden percussion box thought to be derived from an
agricultural crate),” she said. “I’ve come to
terms with modernity the same way we come to terms with technology.
Now there’s an inclusion of all instruments ““ pianos
and drums and so on. I’m actually very happy with it.
It’s enriched the music.”
Ayllon’s own relationship with music reaches far back into
childhood, beginning at age 3, when her maternal grandmother taught
her how to sing. But it wasn’t until her competitive side
brought out her talents as a teenager that she began to consider
singing as a career.
“When I was 13, I was in a school singing contest. We had
to compete against another school that had a big reputation.
Everyone was afraid of them. I told myself I could win something
for my school,” Ayllon said. “When I did, I realized it
was something I could do. Three years later, I became a
professional singer.”
Afro-Peruvian music was largely a hidden secret until its
revival during Ayllon’s childhood in the ’50s and
’60s, and she went on to become one of its leading
proponents.
With such a rich and diverse culture back home, the “Queen
of Lando” acknowledges she feels a responsibility to
positively reflect her homeland.
“Every time I leave, I feel like an ambassador of Peru
““ not just of Peruvian music. (I try) to convey a better
understanding of what Peru is all about,” Ayllon said.
“I hope I motivate Americans to learn more about both
Peruvian music as well as black culture in Peru.”
So far on her tour, she has been encouraged by the diverse
makeup of her audience, which has included non-Latinos as well as
those of Peruvian descent.
On the other hand, Ayllon hopes to familiarize herself with
American culture, having recently married a man living in the
United States.
“I’m trying to make the transition and work here
more than in Peru,” she said. “Just like a kid,
I’m learning more about American culture, including the
language.”
In addition to expanding her audience, the move to the United
States has other professional benefits.
“I’d love to learn more styles of music so I can
interpret those,” she said. “I’ve always loved
jazz and blues, and I want to incorporate them into what I
do.”
But don’t expect her to shed her Afro-Peruvian sound
anytime soon; Ayllon has a pride for its unique place in Latin
American music.
“It’s more powerful, more sensual, and very rich in
all aspects, harmonically as well as melodically,” Ayllon
said.