CARNEGIE HALL PRESENTS
Eva Ayllón

Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
Saturday, November 8th, 2008 at 8:00 PM

Eva Ayllón

Program Notes:

EVA AYLLÓN

Eva Ayllón has long worn the title “The Golden Voice of Peru.” With more than three decades and 20 albums to her credit, Ayllón is a superstar in her homeland. She’s the queen of the folkloric Afro-Peruvian música criolla genre and, more specifically, the percussive style known as landó. Compared to both American blues and flamenco, two-time Grammy nominee Ayllón’s emotive renderings fuse together primal African rhythms with dramatic Spanish and Andean song forms into something wholly intoxicating and original.

Born in Lima, Ayllón began her career as a dancer in her teens before realizing that singing was her true calling. Only in recent years, beginning with her appearance on the David Byrne-curated The Soul of Black Peru, and continuing with the 2004 release of her masterful album Eva! Leyenda Peruana, has she come to the attention of American audiences. More recently, her DVD LIVE FROM HOLLYWOOD has given fans everywhere the opportunity to witness Ayllón’s dynamic performance style.

Eva Ayllón has said that all she wants “is for people to know more about Peru, that it is a beautiful, marvelous country.” When the Peruvian legend arrives at Carnegie Hall, one lucky audience will begin to fully understand.

—Veteran music journalist Jeff Tamarkin is the Associate Editor of JazzTimes magazine.


Copyright © 2008 by The Carnegie Hall Corporation

Eva Ayllón
ROSA AYLLÓN, Background Vocals
SOFIA BUITRÓN, Background Vocals
MARCO CAMPOS, Vocals and Percussion
RONY CAMPOS, Congas
MOISÉS LAMA, Piano
MARIANO LIY, Bass
LEONARDO “GIGIO” PARODI, Cajón
TITO MANRIQUE, Guitar
CARLOS YAMASAKI, Drums and Percussion

Eva Ayllón was born María Angélica Ayllón Urbina on February 7, 1956, adopting the name “Eva” in honor of her maternal grandmother who introduced her to the art of singing at the age of three. Within a few years, she was singing at school, youth competitions, and later on television and radio. In the early 1970s she appeared in many of the local peñas criollas, a gathering of musicians, and began to define herself as one of the leading interpreters of Peru’s Música Criolla.

From 1973 through 1975, Eva sang as the lead vocalist in the popular trio Los Kipus, eventually leaving the group to pursue a solo career. By 1979, she began touring internationally and performing at annual music events and festivals. In addition to música criolla, Eva emerged as the leading voice of Afro-Peruvian landós and festejos, becoming the most important interpreter of Peruvian music. In 2003, her album titled Eva was nominated for a Latin Grammy in the Best Folk Album category.

Hailed as the “Queen of Landó,” Eva released her first US album, Eva! Leyenda Peruana, on Times Square Records in 2004. It was quickly praised throughout the world, receiving Germany’s Critics Choice Award for Best Traditional Recording. Since then, Eva’s musical presence has continued to transcend cultural boundaries. In her commitment to broaden the awareness of Afro-Peruvian culture, Eva changed her residence from Peru to New Jersey that same year.

In January 2007, Eva was honored with a seat among the judges at Latin America’s largest music festival, Viña del Mar. Later that spring, she released a live concert DVD titled LIVE FROM HOLLYWOOD, capturing an impeccable performance before a sold-out audience at the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood. Eva is currently in the process of completing her next album, Kimba-Fá-Malambo-Ñeque, revealing a new approach to her style of singing with original compositions and new arrangements of audience favorites, while also showcasing her versatility in other genres. Eva is also beginning to embark on another US and European tour, introducing new people and cultures to her music.

“Being able to sing is the most wonderful gift that God bestowed on me, and singing for my country, Peru, gives me a sense of great pride. Thanks to each and every single one of you who have supported me during my career, and thanks for keeping me in a little place in your hearts and in your homes.”