Ritmos Negros del Perú is a documentary by filmmakers Florent Wattelier, Sonia Barousse and Hugo Massa. In it, they explore the often overlooked influence of people of African descent in the history of Peruvian music. In particular, they focus on some Afro-Peruvian instruments, among them the cajita (or “little box” which is, indeed, a small wooden box), the quijada (which is a donkey’s jawbone), the checo (an instrument made from a dried pumpkin) and, perhaps the most important of them, the cajón (a wooden box that is played by sitting on top of it and banging the front of it with your hands).

The filmmakers decided to let their subjects tell their own stories, a decision that pays off very well. In the film, you learn, from the same respected musicians (such as Juan “Cotito” Medrano, or the now deceased Rafael Santa Cruz) that have mastered these instruments, the story of struggle, resistance and culture which they inherited from their families, a long line of generations that has played and thought about these instruments and their role (and, by extension, the role of black people) in Peruvian society.

The film takes you to the provinces of Perú, such as El Carmen and Zaña, where Afro-Peruvian culture is prevalent, and tries to makes sense of its relationships with the rest of the country and its contemporary folklore.

It is a highly recommended film and it will be available online soon. But, for now, if you are in New York, you can catch a special screening of it in New York City next Wednesday 4th in Barbès, in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Also, you can follow the documentary’s Facebook page.

Here is a brief preview for now: