From fiery and sensual dances to mystic folk music, the Peruvian Embassy sought to entice the Indonesian public during Peru Cultura, a night of festivities held to celebrate Peru’s rich culture.

“The cultural festival you are about to enjoy tonight will showcase Peru’s culture and music and their relations with the Peruvian community in Indonesia,” said Julio Cardeñas, the Peruvian Ambassador to Indonesia at Usmar Ismail Hall in South Jakarta on Thursday evening.

The event, titled Peru Cultura, was a Peruvian cultural festival held to celebrate the South American nation’s national day.

It consisted of 12 entrancing musical performances by musicians from Indonesia, Peru and other parts of the world.

Each performance was accompanied by a succinct introduction about its historical background and significance.

One performance saw dancers from the Women’s International Club Jakarta and their Indonesian friends dance boldly while flicking their fiery red dresses to the powerful rhythmic beat of festejo, an Afro-Peruvian style of music and dance.

A country of many different ethnicities and backgrounds, festejo is attributed to Peru’s coastal population of African descent. The music’s lyrics and dance movements celebrate the emancipation of slaves as well as other forms of liberation.

Other performances highlighted the cultures of Peruvian tribes such as the fun and boisterous anaconda dance from the Amazon region.

Performed by dancers from the Ananda Sukarlan Cultural Center, the women donned colorful short skirts while the men wore ponchos and wielded spears, which they used to mimic hunting animals. With the occasional yells of “Anaconda!” bringing smiles to the faces of the audience, this performance was a definite crowd pleaser.

The traditional anaconda folk dance pays tribute to the water serpent that thrives in the Amazon River basin.

Live music performed by the Los de Antaño band gave the audience a glimpse of traditional Peruvian instruments.

Los de Antaño’s first song, “El Cóndor Pasa”, began with the soothing and gentle strumming of a charango, a small Andean instrument similar to a guitar, and the beating of a Peruvian walnut bass drum. This was followed by the entrance of a pan flute, which filled the venue with a mystical air.

The night’s performances were wrapped up with an explosive routine by Liliana Castañeda, the 2018 marinera dance World Champion.

After the performances, guests were invited to sample Peruvian cuisine. For the Indonesian tongue, Peruvian dishes might take a little getting used to as the spices used differ from those found in one’s typical kitchen.

Nevertheless, it was still delicious.

One of the dishes served was anticuchos, a popular meat dish reminiscent of Indonesia’s satay with peanut sauce, except that the meat is marinated in vinegar and spices including cumin, ají pepper and garlic.

The desserts were equally as interesting. Sugary and sharp, the pastelitos de limon, the Peruvian version of lemon cake, was a sweet way to end to the evening.

While the night was intended to display Peruvian culture, it was also a testament to the close economic and political ties shared between Peru and Indonesia.

“Relations between Peru and Indonesia are very positive and stable, and there is a great understanding between the two countries. Peru wants to be much closer to Indonesia and likewise Indonesia, Peru,” said Cardeñas.

He highlighted the continued progress made through the Peru-Indonesia Bilateral Consultation Mechanism and the Joint Commission for Economic and Technical Cooperation, which have been meeting annually for the past seven years.

Trade between the two countries has also shown signs of improvement.

“Trade between Indonesia and Peru has shown positive signs. In 2016, trade between two countries totalled US$218.41 million, while in 2017, our total trade increased to $229.98 million,” Manpower Minister Muhammad Hanif Dhakiri said.

The event was also attended by Indonesia’s ambassador to Peru, ministry officials and Indonesian businesspeople.

— The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post.

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