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Teaching artist Marcos Napa demonstrates two different rhythmic patterns that can be played on any surface, and then leads the way through a few basic Afro-Peruvian dance steps.

Vocabulary You Will Learn:

• Cajon—A box-shaped hand percussion instrument from Peru. 
• Festejo—A festive form of Afro-Peruvian music.
• Patrón—The Spanish word for pattern. In this lesson, a pattern is a rhythmic repetition.

Materials You Will Need:

• A bucket, box, or something else you can drum on

How to Perform Afro-Peruvian Rhythms and Dance 

1. First, put the bucket, box, or whatever you are using as a drum between your knees while sitting. Starting with your right hand, while singing “toco festejo, la la la,” drum once with alternating hands on each syllable. When you sing “toco festejo,” you can drum in the middle of the drum with your whole hand, but when you sing “la la la,” drum just with your fingers on the inner edge of the drum. (To learn the melody of the song, scan to around 1:45 in the video.)
2. For the second pattern, you’ll be singing the words “yo como camote rico,” meaning “I eat sweet potato.” When you sing “yo,” hit the drum with both hands. When you sing “como camo-,” hit the drum with one hand on each syllable. When you sing “-te rico,” hit just the inner edge of the drum with your fingers, once on each syllable. (To learn the melody of the song, scroll to around 3:10 in the video.)
3. Now, it’s time to learn some dance steps to go along with the rhythm. For the first step, take four steps forward, starting with your right foot. Then take four steps back, starting with your right foot again.With each step, swing your arms in rhythm (right-left, right-left), keeping them close to your body with elbows bent, so your forearms are in front of you and parallel to the ground. Repeat this step.

4. For the second step, take three steps to the right, starting with your right foot, and then clap. (When you step with your left foot, cross it in front of your right leg.) Repeat this move to the left, starting with your left foot, and then clap. Meanwhile, continue moving your arms in rhythm.
5. For the third step, jump and land with your legs wide and your feet planted firmly. Then, with hands on hips, move your hips to the right, then left, then right, then left.
6. For the final move, take one step forward with your right leg, while throwing both arms straight out in front of you, then step back with your right foot. Repeat this move three times, and on the final time, say “Peru!” when you throw your arms out in front of you.
7. Now you’re ready to put all the moves together to music! If you’d like to use the music from the video, it starts at around 7:25.

In this video, Marcos teaches us some Afro-Peruvian rhythms that can be played on any surface, and then shows us a few basic dance steps to go along with them. If you want to go even further, think about these questions: 

• What different objects can you find in your home to use as a drum? Marcos suggests a box or a bucket, but what about a table or a large book—or your own body? How do each of these objects change the sound you make when drumming?
• How does the sound of the drum change when you are drumming in the middle versus on the edge? What other ways can you find to produce different sounds from your drum?
• Can you choreograph a simple fifth dance step that fits the rhythm of the song Marcos plays, to go at the end of the dance?
• If someone else plays the rhythms on the drum while you dance, how does that feel? Do you find it harder or easier to perform the dance to the drum rhythms as opposed to the song Marcos plays? Why?

Accessibility

Don’t forget that you can turn on “Closed Captioning” to view the YouTube video with English captions.

More about the Teaching Artist

Marcos Napa (he/him) is a percussionist and music producer from Lima, Peru, who currently lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina, where he teaches percussion and dance primarily to elementary school children. His mission is to bring an awareness of Peruvian culture to children through the rich music and dance traditions created by Black people in Peru.

Kennedy Center Education Digital Learning

Eric Friedman 
Director, Digital Learning

Kenny Neal 
Manager, Digital Education Resources

Tiffany A. Bryant 
Manager, Operations and Audience Engagement

JoDee Scissors 
Content Specialist, Digital Learning

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