Masters of Rhythm, of filmmaker Eve A. Ma, was broadcast over national PBS in the United States, screened in five countries on three continents, and won awards in the USA and Germany. A natural outgrowth of her earlier work on Afro-Peruvians, it features percussionists Lalo Izquierdo, Cotito and Huevito. Performances include two original songs, and a dance form called Afro-Peruvian zapateo with fancy footwork similar to tap dance.
This 30 minute documentary comes with several interesting extras. In one, Juan de Dios Soto cooks a special Afro-Peruvian dish called carapulcra. In another, star Lalo Izquierdo demonstrates rhythms from the days of slavery through an Afro-Peruvian form of "talking drums."
"...Highly recommended...." (Video Librarian)
"...a rare and delightful glimpse....capture(s) the artistry, love and philosophy...." (John Santos, percussionist, seven times Grammy nominee)
"...a great way to discover...this music.... I recommend this...." (Armstrong, Percussive Notes Quarterly)
Ma's first documentary about Afro-Peruvians, this focuses on the dance, and on the history of the Afro-Peruvian community. One hour long, it screened in four festivals, was runner-up for the prize of Best Documentary in the San Diego Black Film Festival, and broadcast over individual PBS stations.
A Zest for Life stars Lalo Izquierdo, one of the three principals in Masters of Rhythm; in fact, it was Izquierdo's talent, chrisma, and knoweldge of the history and culture of his community which led Ma to make additional trips to Peru to film Masters of Rhythm. In A Zest for Life, Izquierdo is ably complimented by singer-songwriter Jorge Luis Jasso, bassist Vladimir Vukanovich, the performing group de Rompe y Raja, and others.
"...a vivid demonstration...that...Afro-Peruvian music and culture [are] ... exciting and dynamic...." (Wayne Wallace,, five-time Grammy-nominated jazz trombonist)
"...Lalo Izquierdo...is so compelling, you just might jump up and join in..." (Deidre Towers, former curator, Dance on Camera Festival)
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The music album Cajón Is King compliments the two documentaries about Afro-Peruvian music, dance, and culture. With 12 tracks, there is a full one hour of music - but this is not your standard music album.
There are songs by famous percussionists Lalo Izquierdo and Huevito (who are also singer-songwriters), songs performed by the group "de Rompe y Raja," a track by singer-songwriter Jorge Luis Jasso, another in which the guitar of Coco Linares accompanies the percussion made by the feet of Lalo Izquierdo and Huevito as they dance Afro-Peruvian zapateo, and a solo cajón number in which Lalo Izquierdo plays rhythms from North and South America.
"...a treasure chest of songs....performed by the great torch-bearers of the musical culture...." (Raúl de Gama for World Music Report)
purchase on CD with PayPal:Our special, one-of-a-kind, Palomino Productions' Diversity cup! Bright, colorful, with scenes from our films, this cup shows that you value and enjoy ethnic and cultural diversity, and that you also love movies. Who doesn't?
Dishwasher-safe.
$10.50 each