This classic vals entitled Cul-De-Sac With A Single Standpipe, composed by Victoria Santa Cruz Gamarra, paints a nostalgic portrait of life in the callejones — the residential back-streets, blind alleys and cul-de-sacs of central Lima, in which the city’s popular folk used to live. The most important feature in the callejón, around which life revolved, was the single trough and standpipe (caño), providing the communal water supply for cooking, drinking and washing.

The communities in callejones were close-knit and formed the basis for parties (jaranas) at which ‘canto de jarana’, the art of singing rhyming couplets to the music of marinera limeña, was practised.

MALAMBO likes to open its concerts with this up-tempo vale, because it emphasises that our music is “from the streets”, meaning it belongs to and is to be enjoyed by everyone!

For more information about this and other songs MALAMBO performs, visit: 
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Callejón De Un Solo Caño

At first listen, this festejo by Pepe Villalobos entitled Move Your Arse appears to be no more than a bawdy chorus. Listen again, and you will hear that the verse paints a pathetic spectacle of a lowly widow following a beat up old hearse that is carrying her poor dead husband, a popular neighbourhood joe who has died tragically, to the cemetery to be buried.
 
In a vain attempt to raise the deceased, in their grief the widow and her cortège cry out, “Move your arse!”

For more information about this and other songs MALAMBO performs, visit: 
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Mueve Tu Cucú

In this festejo entitled The Merry Negro, Pepe Villalobos draws on his childhood memories of black workers being served Ginger Beer (Chinchibirra) by immigrant Chinese (kulís) in Lima, and the effects of this intoxicating brew. As the chorus states, “Ginger Beer makes one smile … Ginger Beer makes things fun!” 

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El Negrito Chinchiví

Chabuca Granda named this tondero in affectionate reference to her dear friend, the elderly horse breeder José Antonio de Lavalle y García. In it, she paints a romantic picture of the traditional Peruvian chalán (horseman) astride his Creole steed riding to take part in Lima’s annual Festival de San Juán in Amancaes, an upland area just to the north of the old city.

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José Antonio

This lively festejo, composed by Eduardo Márquez Talledo, pays homage to the wonderful Creole parties (jaranas) that take place in the back streets (callejones) of central Lima’s popular neighbourhoods (barrios).

For more information about this and other songs MALAMBO performs, visit: 
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Pancha Remolino

The creole beauty Victoria Angulo de Loyola is said to be the inspiration behind this renowned and anthemic Peruvian vals (waltz) composed by Chabuca Granda, entitled The Cinnamon Flower. Chabuca captures in song for posterity the former charm and elegance of municipal Lima when it was known as The City of Kings.

For more information about this and other songs MALAMBO performs, visit:
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La Flor De La Canela

The live audience at the Royal Festival Hall particularly loved this festejo by Pepe Villalobos so we performed it again by popular request, as an encore to finish our show!

For more information about this and other songs MALAMBO performs, visit: 
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Mueve Tu Cucú — Encore

Wallee McDonnell, Music Co-ordinator at the St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace, introduces Luís Rebaza-Soraluz, who tells a short story about his journey, as one amongst a group of unrelated hitchhikers riding atop a large truck, to Peru’s northern-most city of Tumbes in December 1985. He and the other travellers come to realise that the cargo they’ve been laid out and smoking cigarettes upon has the potential to kill them all — instantly! Luís describes his sense of helplessness, and the distorted perception of time and reality which fear brings, as he and the other passengers hurtled through the night on their stricken journey…

Introduction and Tumbes

Wallee McDonnell welcomes MALAMBO, who perform this popular song, written by Victoria Santa Cruz Gamarra, telling the story of the communities who lived and shared their music in the cul-de-sacs and back-alleys of central urban Lima, Peru’s capital city.

This song tells the story of a woman suffering from jealousy at the prospect that her husband abandons her for an imagined lover. As the woman says, “You are mine only — my private property!”

Mi Propriedad Privada

Popular food and drink are the subject matter for this lively ‘festejo’, based upon a children’s nursery rhyme, composed by Abelardo Vásquez Díaz.

Camote Asa’o

Influenced by the Peruvian creole (criolla) style of interpreting the waltz (vale) an Argentine, Angel Cabral composed this melody in 1936. Adapted with a new lyric in French, provided by Michel Rivgauche, and entitled La Foule (The Crowd) the resulting song became a popular hit for the internationally famous chanteuse, Édith Piaf.

Malambo Music

Popular tracks