Peruvian Culture in New York City

Peruvian Culture in New York City is a mestizo mix of Indigenous Inca descendants with a Spanish colonial overlay.

The African Diaspora has mostly blended in, but remains culturally significant.

Abolition brought Chinese and Japanese workers who have contributed to Peruvian culture.

Traditional Peruvian culture includes the Andean flutes you hear on New York subways.

Peru’s marinera dance blends Spanish contradanza and Andean zamacueca.

Festejo is an Afro-Peruvian drum, song, and dance tradition.

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Peruvian New York City

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Metro New York’s main Peruvian community is centered on “Little Lima” is on Market St in Paterson, New Jersey. It’s the biggest Peruvian community in the United States.

There is a Peruvian community along Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens.

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Peruvian Art

You can find Peruvian culture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, and Queens Museum.

The Crown of the Andes in the Metropolitan Museum of Art is Colombian, but the big emerald in the crown is said to be the legendary Atahualpa Emerald which belonged to the last Inca ruler. The crown is human sized. The emerald is enormous.

Revolver Galeria is a Peruvian art gallery in the Lower East Side. revolvergaleria.com

William Cordova is a major Peruvian artist. He is represented by Sikkema Jenkins.

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Peruvian Books

Nobel Prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa is often in New York.

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Peruvian Dance

Latin Mondays at Taj, New York’s most popular salsa dance parties is led by Talia Castro-Pozo, a Peruvian actress, classical ballerina, and salsera.

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Peruvian Festivals

• May Sumak Film Festival
• Peru to the World Expo *
• Peruvian Parade

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Peruvian Food

Ceviche, fresh fish “cooked” in lime juice blends Indigenous and Japanese traditions. Pisco, a brandy distilled from muscat grape wine, goes well with ceviche.

Melvi Davilla produces the wonderful Peru to the World Expo food festival.

• Flor de Mayo (Chinese-Peruvian) flordemayo.com
• Llama Inn (Michelin)
• Mission Ceviche (Michelin)
• Panca
• Pio Pio
• Pollo d’Oro
• Riko Peruvian Cuisine
• Sen Sakama
• Suya Gastrofusion (Michelin)
• Urubamba (NYC’s oldest)

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Peruvian Government

New York’s Peruvian Consulate is in Midtown East, Manhattan. consulado.pe

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Peruvian Music

There is Peruvian jazz at Terraza 7 in Elmhurst, Queens; Barbès in Park Slope, Brooklyn; and SOB’s in Hudson Square, Manhattan.

Araceli Poma plays an Indigenous jazz fusion.

Chicha Libre isn’t very active now, and they are not Peruvian, but they play cumbia based on Peruvian Chica which is pretty cool. It’s sort of cumbia-surf-rock based out of Barbès, Brooklyn.

Efraín Rozas, the Peruvian musician and technologist, fronts psychedelic salsa rockers La Mecánica Popular.

Gabriel Alegría is one of New York City’s leading Peruvian jazz musicians.

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Culture of Peru

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Peru is defined by the Andes mountains with a dry coastal plain on one side and Amazonian jungle on the other.

Peru still has a strong Indigenous culture with Afro-Peruvian culture along the coast.

Cusco was the capital of the Inca, one of the great civilizations of South America. The descendants of the Inca remain in the Andes along with different Indigenous peoples in the Amazonian highlands. Inca roads still run up and down the west coast of South America and the Andes mountains.

Spanish colonizers (1534-1821) first controlled South America from Lima. It was once considered an African city.

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Peruvian Musicians

Susana Baca is a famous advocate of Afro-Peruvian culture. @susana_baca_oficial

Tony Succar is a Miami Peruvian timbalero who won 2019 Latin Grammy Awards for Salsa Album and Producer of the Year.

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UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Peru

The ancient Inca sanctuary city of Machu Picchu is an icon of Peru, but we have many World Heritage Sites. These include:

• Arequipa, a colonial city with Indigenous influences
• Caral-Supe, an ancient sacred city of the Norte Chico civilization
• Chan Chan, the ancient capital of the Chimú culture
• Chavín de Huantar, an ancient Andean city
• Cusco, the ancient Inca capital
• Huascarán National Park, high Andean mountains around Peru’s tallest peak
• Lima City Center, the colonial city center founded in 1535
• Manú National Park, a biosphere preserve
• Nazca Lines, the famous earth drawings (400-650) that can only be seen from the air
• Qhapaq Ñan Andean Road System, these ancient Inca roads run from Colombia to Chile/Argentina.
• Río Abiseo National Park, a rainforest park with many pre-Columbian sites