Coinciding with the release of their self-titled debut album, The Warrior Women of Afro-Peruvian Music are premiering their first music video, for the song ‘Es Amador’, featuring dancers Wendy Cotito and Angela Ayala Cotito.

The accurately-named project brings together ten of the most exciting makers of Afro-Peruvian music today – and all of them women: there are singers Araceli Poma, Rosa Guzmán, Charo Goyoneche, Sofía Buitrón, Maricarmen Padilla, Milagros Guerrero, Victoria Villalobos, violinist Maria Elena Pacheco and percussionists Catalina ‘Cata’ Robles and Gisella Giurfa. The group bring together traditional music of the Afro-Peruvian community with soul, R’n’B and jazz.

The project aims to shine a light on the double injustice of racism and sexism that Afro-Peruvian women endure in both music and society – it was even unknown for women to play the cajón until very recently due to its ‘indecent’ nature. By bringing these musicians all together for an album, they aim to speak with one voice – musically and politically – to campaign for racial and gender parity in Peru.

The Warrior Women of Afro-Peruvian Music is out now, and will be reviewed in the next issue of Songlines, November 2019 #152, on sale September 27.