Man: I heard Susana Baca from my Spanish teacher.

His name's Bernardo Palombo.

Some years ago, I was taking lessons from him, and the idea would be that we would talk about music, we would talk about culture and politics, and I would learn this way.

And so, one day, he put in a videotape of Susana singing "Maria Lando."

[ Baca singing "Maria Lando" ] And not only was her performance and the song beautiful, but I'd never heard this kind of music before.

So I asked him, "What kind of music is this?

Is there more like this, or is it just her?"

And he said, "Oh, it's a whole kind of music, Afro-Peruvian music.

It's not very well-known, even in Peru.

It's almost underground.

But it exists, and has existed for many years.

But the recordings are very hard to find."

[ Singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Baca speaking Spanish ] [ Baca singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ [ Baca speaking Spanish ] [ Singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Baca speaking Spanish ] [ Chuckles ] ♪♪ [ Baca speaking Spanish ] [ Singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ All singing in Spanish ] [ Baca singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Baca speaking Spanish ] [ Whispers in Spanish ] [ Whispers in Spanish ] [ Drum beating ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Baca speaking Spanish ] [ Band playing up-tempo music ] ♪♪ [ Baca speaking Spanish ] [ Band singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Singing continues ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Speaking Spanish ] [ Singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Baca speaking Spanish ] [ Singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Imitating drum beat ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Baca speaking Spanish ] [ Baca singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Baca speaking Spanish ] [ Drum beating, man singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Speaking Spanish ] [ Drum beating ] [ Singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Speaking Spanish ] [ Drum beating ] [ Speaking Spanish ] [ Speaking Spanish ] [ Both conversing in Spanish ] [ Singing in Spanish ] [ Both singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Dancing rhythmically ] ♪♪ [ Instrumental music playing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Baca speaking Spanish ] ♪♪ [ Baca singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Baca speaking Spanish ] [ Brass band playing ] [ Singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Speaking Spanish ] [ Brass band playing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Drum beating ] [ Car horns honking ] ♪♪ [ Siren wailing ] [ Baca speaking Spanish ] ♪♪ [ Guitar playing, man humming ] ♪♪ Yeah.

Man: Oh, no.

Okay.

This is this.

Yeah, this is -- That's the hit for that.

The vocal is before.

Yeah.

[ Singing indistinctly ] [ Speaking Spanish ] [ Speaking indistinctly ] One, two, three, four.

[ Baca speaking Spanish ] Okay.

Now let me get the vocal good.

[ Imitating musical beat ] [ Speaking Spanish ] [ Singing musical beat ] [ All singing musical beat ] [ Singing musical beat ] ♪♪ [ Singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ [ Speaking Spanish ] [ Baca singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Speaking Spanish ] [ All conversing in Spanish ] [ Laughter ] [ Speaking Spanish ] [ Singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ More bass!

Man: Yes.

More bass.

Man #2: Yeah.

[ Laughs ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ All conversing in Spanish ] [ Man shouts in Spanish ] ♪♪ [ Baca speaking Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Men singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ [ Speaking Spanish ] [ Both laugh ] [ Laughter ] [ Both conversing in Spanish ] [ Sounding out ] Forje -- Forje -- Les forje.

Les forje mortes.

Les forj-- Feuilles.

Les feuilles mortes.

Feuilles.

Forjet.

Yeah, yeah.

Les feuilles mortes.

♪ Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle ♪ ♪ Tu vois, je n'ai pas oublié ♪ ♪ Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle ♪ ♪ Les souvenirs et les regrets aussi ♪ ♪ Et le vent du Nord les emporte ♪ ♪ Dans la nuit froide de l'oubli ♪ ♪ Tu vois, je n'ai pas oublié ♪ ♪ La chanson que tu me chantais ♪ ♪ C'est une chanson qui nous ressemble ♪ ♪ Toi tu m'aimais, et je t'aimais ♪ ♪ Nous vivions tous les deux ensemble ♪ ♪ Toi qui m'aimais, moi qui t'aimais ♪ [ Speaking Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Baca speaking Spanish ] ♪♪ [ Singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Men singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Speaking Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Mm.

♪♪ ♪♪ [ Speaking Spanish ] [ Chuckles ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Baca and band singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Drums beating ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Baca speaking Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Baca singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Instrumental music playing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Baca singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪