Afro-Peruvian Zapateo Dance
Lalo Izquierdo, Master Artist
Gabriela Shiroma, Apprentice
Danced to the sound of the cajón (box drum), the zapateo peruano with its fancy "hard shoe" footwork reminiscent of Spanish dance and its unique rhythms is an Afro-Peruvian dance form that is found along the coast of Peru where Africans were brought as slaves beginning in the 16th century. Starting at eight years of age in "Malambo," his neighborhood of Rimac, Peru, a black community, José Orlando "Lalo" Izquierdo has achieved recognition for his zapateo abilities and has become a teacher in Peru and other parts of the Americas. Gabriela Shiroma, dance coordinator of De Rompe y Raja, a Peruvian folk dance ensemble in the Bay Area, plans to study with the master to be able to incorporate zapateo techniques into the group's repertoire.
Lalo and Gabriela perform with the dance troupe "De Rompe y Raja."
Photos ©Gabriela Shiroma
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