Photo/ Foto: Marlène Ramírez Cancio

Live in Concert

Susana Baca perfomrs live at El Instituto Negro Continuo.

Biography

Susana Baca, the Peruvian vocalist who became internationally renowned with "Maria Lando," a track in the 1995 David-Byrne-produced CD The Soul of Black Peru, has often been compared to Cesaria Evora, from Cabo Verde. It's not surprising; both women have found rich material in folk traditions of their countries, and both sing songs that are rooted in gloomy emotions: pain, nostalgia, longing. Susana Baca is not only one of the greatest divas in South America, she is a tireless researcher, and is largely responsible for the revival of many forms of Afro-Peruvian folklore. She is also the founder of the "Centro Experimental de Música Negrocontinuo" (Institute of the Black Continuum), a cultural center dedicated to the study of Afro-Peruvian music and dance. Won a GRAMMY AWARD in 2002.