“Negra Presuntuosa” is how we refer to young black girls who, in the fullness of youth, make weapons of seduction and the power of flirtatiousness. 1. NEGRA PRESUNTUOSA (Andres Soto) Something of mine is lost Between your house and mine It’s the heat that doesn’t singe Not from joy Not from anger Nor is it a lie That something of yours is Hidden Between your street and my soul Maybe it’s the hope Of a sleepy love I’ll know how to laugh I’ll know how to cry I’ll know how to give you My love Black girl Black girl, I love you Enjoy Pretentious black girl Look I’m dying Give me Life from your mouth Boot That is crushing me The talons of freedom Algo de mi se ha perdido Entre tu casa y mi casa Será el calor que no abrasa No es de gozo No es de ira Como tampoco es mentira Que algo de ti se ha escondido Entre tu calle y mi alma Será tal vez la esperanza De un cariño adormecido Yo sabré reír Yo sabré llorar Yo sabré entregarte mi cariño Negra Negra que te quiero Goza Negra presentuosa Mira Que me estoy muriendo Dame Vida de tu boca Bota Que me está pisando Los talones de la libertad
	As published in the works of W. Tompkins, there’s just this phrase: Molino, molero sólo ta’ andando It was recovered by José Durand, who heard it from Bartola Sancho Dávila, the famous Peruvian dancer, who had learned it from her aunt, the slave Juana Irujo. The song dates back to the beginnings of the 19th century, and is part of an older work of recovery. The second stanza was added by Ricardo Pereira. 2. MOLINO MOLERO (tradional) The mill, crushing mill Mill alone grinding ta’ andando, ta’ andando, ta’ andando Here is the mill Milling on the shore Grinding my pain Milling on the shore ta’ andando Molino Molero Molino solo ta’ andando ta’ andando ta’ andando Ahí está el molino Moliendo en la playa Moliendo mi pena Moliendo en la playa Ta’ andado... Molino molero Molino sólo ta’ andando... Molino molero Molino sólo ta’ andando Ta’ andando.... Ahí está el molino Moliendo mi pena Moliendo mi pena
	“Heces” is the sediment, the dregs of wine. It was written in Lima during the winter of 1918, it’s from the book The Black Heralds, (1919) from the section called “From the Earth.” ...Nothing is as melancholy as Lima in winter, nothing as desolate as this eternal gray... The melody of the song came to me from the Cuban musician Noel Nicola in 1973 and for many years the musicians who have worked with me have ripened it, arranging the version I sing today. 3. HECES (Cesar Vallejo) This afternoon it’s raining like never before, And I no longer feel like living, my love This afternoon is sweet. Why shouldn’t it be? It is dressed in grace and pain. It is dressed as woman This afternoon in Lima it’s raining. And I remember The cruel caverns of my ingratitude A block of ice above your poppy flower Stronger than your “Don’t be like that!” My violent black blooms And the savage stone, and frozen distances. And your silent dignity Will put an end with burning oils That’s why this afternoon, I go With this owl, with this heart And others come by and see me so sad And they drink a little bit of you In the abrupt wrinkling of my deep pain This afternoon it’s raining, it rains so much And I don’t want to live, my love! Esta tarde llueve, como nunca; y no Tengo ganas de vivir, corazón. Esta tarde es dulce. Por qué no ha de ser? Viste gracia y pena; viste de mujer. Esta tarde en Lima llueve. Y yo recuerdo Las cavernas crueles de mi ingratitud; Mi bloque de hielo sobre su amapola, Más fuerte que su “No seas así!” Mis violentas flores negras, y bárbara Y enorme pedrada; y el trecho glacial. Y pondrá el silencio de su dignidad Con óleos quemantes el punto final. Por eso esta tarde, como nunca, voy Con este búho, con este corazón. Y otras pasan; y viéndome tan triste; Toman un poquito de ti En la abrupta arruga de mi hondo dolor Esta tarde llueve, llueve mucho. ¡Y no Tengo ganas de vivir, corazón!
	The rhythm of this song has the feeling of danzon or habanera, music and dance that took root in Peru during the 19th century. It’s a genre that’s tied musically to Europe through the contradance and rhythmically to the Caribbean blacks. This dance was brought to Peru by the blacks who came from Panama. 4. TU MIRADA Y MI VOZ (Andres Soto) They say that to get The woman you want Only takes a stab In the heart I ask the reason For this knowing what I know: Life leaves Taking nothing with it And would I have wanted to see for myself I would have seen everything How miserable my eyes Not having seen If you could allot Some of your smile to my valleys Your sorrows in my streets And your love in me I would have a reason That together with the rest Would give me the occasion To shout how beautiful Love is For him that only has A fantasy And the warmth of a companion That is dear to me as life The hearth seems better When there’s fire burning When there’s wood that keeps Your gaze and my voice Dicen que para lograr A la mujer tan ansiada Sólo basta una estocada En el corazón Yo pregunto la razón De este saber que sé yo Pues la vida que se va No se lleva nada Y se quisiera ver por ver Ya todo lo habría visto Cual tristeza de mis ojos No tener que ver Si pudiera repartir Tu sonrisa por mis valles Tus penitas en mis calles Y tu amor en mi Yo tendría una razón Que juntas con las demás Me darían la ocasión De gritar que lindo es el amor Para el que sólo tiene fantasía Y el calor de una compañía Que es la vida mía El hogar se ve mejor Cuando hay fuego que lo encienda Cuando hay leña que retenga Tu mirada y mi voz
	The zamba malató is a style believed to be derived from traditional landó. Recovered by Nicómedes Santa Cruz, the music has African words that, like everything in the oral tradition, have lost significance or have been distorted in their pronunciation, leaving them now as rhythmic elements. (*) zamba also refers to a person of mixed Andean/African parentage. 5. ZAMBA MALATÓ (traditional) La zamba passes through The watering trough Landó Dancing, shaking it So we can see her This little bird Red painted breast That’s what you get For falling in love Zamba malató Landó Zamba malató Landó La zamba se pasea Por la batea Landó Zamba malató Landó Bailando se menea Pa’ que la vea Ese pajarillo Pecho colorao Ese te sucede negro Por enamorao Landó landó Zamba landó Landó Bailando se menea..... A la mucurú A loña loña A la recolé Hoguerequeté Babalorishá A la mucurú Oyokororó Oyokororó A la mucurú Babalorishá Babalorishá Eee tiritiri Mandé mandé
	Although this song is by Simón Diaz, a wonderful poet and Venezuelan composer, I sing Caetano Veloso’s version, which moved me so much when I heard it. I offer it in homage to the lovers’ moon and to Eduardo and Carla María, my Bolivian friends who made me listen. 6. LUNA LLENA (Simón Diaz) I saw a dark heron Struggling in a river That’s how your heart Falls in love with mine Moon, moon, full moon waning Go boy to the house And bring me my rifle To kill this chicken-hawk That won’t leave my hen alone The moon is watching me I don’t know what she sees in me I have clean clothes I washed them yesterday afternoon Moon, moon, full moon waning Yo vide una garza mora dándole combate a un río Así es como se enamora Así es como se enamora tu corazón con el mío tu corazón con el mío Luna luna luna llena menguante luna luna luna llena menguante Anda muchacho a la casa y me traes la carabina pa’ mata’ este gavilán que no me deja gallina La luna me está mirando Yo no se lo que me ve yo tengo la ropa limpia Yo tengo la ropa limpia Ayer tarde la lavé Ayer tarde la lavé Luna luna luna llena menguante Luna luna luna llena menguante
	I listened to the sones of Ismael Rivera in the ’70s. I liked the words, I felt that they pertained to all black people, it was like truth sung in the rhythms of the festival. I would have liked to compose something similar with the language and rhythms of my own land, but since I couldn’t, Cotito helped me out with his cajón and we made it a landó, the musical style of Peru’s blacks. 7. CARAS LINDAS (Tite Curet Alonso) The beautiful faces Of my black people Are a parade Of molasses in bloom And when they pass before me Their blackness Cheers my heart The beautiful faces Of my dark race Are made of weeping Pain and suffering They are the truth That life challenges But they carry Within so much love We are the molasses that laughs The molasses that cries The molasses that loves In each moving kiss That’s why I live proud Of our coloration We are friendly shoe polish Of clear poetry They have their rhythm They have their melody The beautiful faces of my black people Beautiful faces Of my black people Las caras lindas De mi gente negra Son un desfile De melaza en flor Que cuando pasan Frente a mi se alegra De su negrura todo el corazón Las caras lindas De me raza prieta Tienen de llanto De pena y dolor Son las verdades Que la vida reta Pero que llevan Dentro mucho amor Somos la melaza que ríe Somos la melaza que llora Somos la melaza que ama Y en cada beso Es conmovedora Por eso vivo orgullosa De su colorido Somos betún amable De clara poesía Tienen su ritmo Tienen melodía Las caras lindas De mi gente negra Caras lindas De mi gente negra
	The festejo is a festive and playful rhythm that’s been danced in Peru since the last century, it’s both rural and urban, and was widely adopted by the black populations along the coast. 8. SE ME VAN LOS PIES (Juan Medrano) Look how my feet go My waist, hips and my shoulders too Oh, how my feet go! With my hips How my feet go With my waist How my feet go With the cajón How my feet go With the marinera How my feet go With the zamacueca They go to Chincha The zamacueca The marinera The carapulca To San Francisco To New York Mira que se me van los pies Mira que se me van los pies Mira que se me van los pies Mira que se me van los pies La cintura, la cadera Y los hombros también Ay se me van se me van Se me van los pies Ay se me van se me van Se me van los pies Con la cadera Se me van los pies Con la cintura Se me van los pies Con el cajón Se me van los pies La marinera Se me van los pies La zamacueca Se me van los pies Se me van Se me van los pies Pa’ chincha se van La zamacueca La marinera La carapulca Se me van Se me van Pa’ San Francisco Pa’ Nueva York Se me van Se me van...
	“Enciéndete Candela” is a traditional song from the rural blacks of southern Peru. It was sung by Roberto Rivas at the first Festival of Black Arts (Cañete, 1972). The Ingá, or puppet dance, although danced today for fun, is presumed to pertain to ancient magic or religious ceremonies. It’s danced in a circle, with one dancer in the center who takes the puppet and performs very sensual movements. The Alcatráz is another festive dance, kind of a game, where the dancers go one behind the other, the one in front wears a cucurucho (a little roll of paper) hung like a tail and his partner behind him has a lit candle and tries to burn the cucurucho while dancing. Both dances and songs take a bit of rhythmic and interpretive skill. 9. ENCIÉNDETE CANDELA (traditional) Light the flame Cook up the onions In my life I’ve seen The braided leather lash My mother, my father Be careful with the baby Ingá Ingá The baby wants to suckle Ingá Ingá Come give him to his mother Hot butter That doesn’t burn You burn and you’ll get burned Burn The alcatráz Don’t burn me The alcatráz Enciéndete candela Cocínate cebolla Que en mi vida he visto Cordón de soga Enciéndete candela Cocínate cebolla Que en mi vida he visto Cordón de soga Mi mamá mi taíta Cuidao con la criatura Ingá Ingá El nene quiere mamar Ingá Ingá Ven dáselo a su mamá Mantequita caliente Que no se quema Quema tu que lo quemará Quema El alcatráz Que tu que lo quemará Quema, El alcatráz Quema, quema El alcatráz Quema, quema El alcatráz A que no me quema El alcatráz A que no me quema El alcatráz
	This song was written in October of 1994, to pay homage to the Lord of Miracles, the oldest fiesta in Peru today. The majority of black communities are united in their deep religiosity. This image of Christ was painted by a black man the outskirts of colonial Lima. The statue has survived a devastating earthquake, a miracle which gained it devotion and notoriety across the country. Traditionally, the Dark Christ represents the faith of the black people, who have organized societies for its custody. 10. SEÑOR DE LOS MILAGROS (Francisco Basili) Lord of Miracles Black brother Christ Forgive us I’ll cry no more Black brother Christ I’ll pray to you We’re the ones Who praise The Lord I’ll weep no more People who Pray to Their God I’ll weep no more The black Christ is holy Generous and holy The black Christ is mild Mild and holy The black Christ is miraculous Miraculous and holy The black Christ is holy He’s black, black and holy Lord of Miracles Black brother Christ Forgive us Señor de los Milagros Cristo hermano negro Perdón Ya no lloraré Cristo hermano negro No lloraré Ya no lloraré Cristo hermano negro Te rezaré Somos los Que rezan Al señor Ya no lloraré Pueblo que Le reza A su Dios Color Ya no lloraré El Cristo negro es santo Generoso y santo El Cristo negro es tolerante Tolerante y santo El Cristo negro es milagroso Milagroso y santo El Cristo negro es santo Es negro, negro y santo Señor de los milagros Cristo hermano negro Perdón

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