Denison Vail Series: Gabriel Alegría and the Afro-Peruvian Sextet

The Vail Series presents Gabriel Alegria and the Afro-Peruvian Sextet. Established in 2005, the ensemble's insistently inventive program of traditional Afro-Peruvian music transformed by Alegria's highly personal synthesis of folkloric Afro-Peruvian rhythms, jazz, and other musical strains. This has led to a signature accomplishment: developing the band's patented blend of deep scholarship and playfulness into a touring experience that conveys a vast knowledge of the music and, perhaps more importantly, transmits black music from coastal Peru as a way of life to its audiences. The New York Times writes, "Dynamic ensemble explores the affinities between modern mass and the Afro-Latino continuum in Peru." While Downbeat Magazine states, "...to be loved by progressives and block-party dancers alike." The Vail Series gratefully acknowledges: Support in part by the Arts Midwest Touring Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Ohio Arts Council, Crane Group and General Mills Foundation.