Susana Baca

Art can come out of tragedy; throughout history that's been true. And it's remained that way, throughout the turmoils and atrocities of the 20th Century, and now into the new Millennium. The events of September 11, a day which maybe changed the world - or maybe not - undoubtedly had a profound effect on anyone who witnessed them. Among those who experienced things firsthand was Afro-Peruvian singer Susana Baca, who'd arrived in New York to record her third album for the Luaka Bop label.

"We all wondered whether there was any space, whether music was possible at that moment. "

For a while it was touch and go whether the record would be made - or could be made - in the immediate aftermath of what had happened. With so much going on, did music have a place in life? But the album was completed, and the result, Espírituvivo, has finally been released. It's Baca's most luminous disc to date, graceful and hopeful, suffused with sadness, but looking forward. In addition to Baca and her band, guitarist Marc Ribot, who's worked with artists like Tom Waits, in addition to leading Los Cubanos Postizos, and keyboard player John Medeski, of jazz favorites Medeski, Martin, and Wood, guest on the album, bringing a downtown sensibility to the proceedings, but without ever imposing themselves. They glide into spaces in the music, offering fills and chords that help the sound, sometimes changing it subtly, sometimes just being part of the framework around the centerpiece - Baca's voice.

Making the album proved to be cathartic for Baca, and everyone involved with it.

"It was really hard, and it was a very bitter experience to have to go through," she admitted. "When we first arrived, we began rehearsing with the North American guest musicians. That began on September eighth, and it was very pleasant to see them again. Then we had a concert on the ninth, met again to rehearse on the 10th, then the events of the 11th of September unfolded. That's when things became so dark. We all wondered whether there was any space, whether music was possible at that moment. I wondered whether I could sing, and there were a few hours we were all quiet and thinking about it. But we came to the decision to move on, and that music could be some kind of a remedy to get rid of all that sadness and bring something positive. From that moment we weren't there just for the pleasure of making music, but our work was an answer, a response to what was going, saying life is stronger."

It was a feeling reinforced by the fact that the sessions all took place in front of a small invited audience. That gave an intimacy beyond most studio records, and a sense of spontaneity that's captured in the emotions of the record. The vitality of the music, and the way it's used to express the flood of emotions, transcends language, and transforms Espírituvivo into something more than just another disc.

"It was very pleasant to be there," Baca remembered. "The whole studio had been decorated so we could have a very special time. Getting into the studio was like landing on an island on peace. All the sad things of the world were taking place outside. When the first group of guests came, they felt the sadness around them intensely. But music helped bring that out and get rid of it."

In addition to the Afro-Peruvian music that's Baca's reason d'être, Espírituvivo also contains four cover songs, from her mentor, influential and innovative female Peruvian composer Chabuca Granda ("El Fusil"), Mongo Santamaria ("Afro-Blue"), Brazilian legend Caetano Veloso ("13 De Mayo"), and, most surprisingly, Iceland's alternative darling, Björk - not someone most people would think of in the same sentence as Susana Baca, who treats "Anchor Song" with as much tenderness as if she'd written it herself. The idea came about, she explained, through a young acquaintance at home, "who's part of the underground scene, but who's a good friend of mine, because he's interested in Afro-Peruvian music. He was the person who introduced me to Björk's music. He told me to listen to it, that I'd find something to touch me deeply. There's something in the roots of the music that's inside you. I just loved it, especially the song I did. It also speaks about my childhood, since I grew up by the ocean and I've always felt close to it. Although Iceland is so distant, the music touches my heart, and I feel close."

As well as being a performer, Baca, along with husband Ricardo Pereira, founded the Instituto Negrocontinuo in 1992. It's dedicated to commemorating and celebrating black Peru, an element of society which had long been ignored. In the decade since they began the Institute, "we've traveled around Peru and recorded all kinds of material from people in the mountains and small towns," Baca noted. We've put it together with books and literature about Peruvians and the African Diaspora. It's all free for anyone who's interested. And we've met with young Peruvians who came for references, and material not available elsewhere, and make new music. For example there's a musician who's trying to sample Peruvian music and rock music. He's working in a studio we've built."

Partly as a result of her efforts, Afro-Peruvians have been to emerge from the shadows of their own country, and show that they have a history - and a future - worthy of praise, which leaves Baca feeling "very pleased. For many years things weren't good. But now, in Peru, there are musicians who maybe didn't feel proud about their origins, but they do know. And maybe I contributed to that, which makes me very proud."

However, for all the research and song collecting that she been involved in, and which is an integral part of the Institute, Baca is reluctant to call herself an academic of any kind.

"I'm seen as some kind of an idol, which is both flattering and amusing,"

"I'm basically a musician, that's my real profession," she pointed out. "The Instituto began as pure curiosity. I investigated, and tried to find out as much information as possible, because I want to find out. But I deeply respect the academic work of musicologists and experts. Nevertheless, all the information I've acquired, and the experiences I've gone through have been a source of my own music; there's been a feedback for me."

That feedback has helped propel her to international stardom and continued growth as an artist. She's come a long way from her eponymous 1997 debut, and even from Eco de Sombras, her much-lauded work of two years ago. She now sounds like a woman utterly at ease with her maturity and herself. However, the title of diva doesn't rest easily on her shoulders.

"When I'm being called 'the world music diva for Peruvian music' that shows I have a big responsibility," Baca said. "But in Peru, so far, I've not had a reference to look up to, and that makes an imbalance between things on the outside and at home. At the same time it's very stimulating. I'm taking the challenge and it's rewarding. It's good to get these honors and hear there's such a response to my work."

And nowhere is that response stronger than in Peru, where she's become feted as a musical icon.

"I'm seen as some kind of an idol, which is both flattering and amusing," she laughed. "There's a lot of pride there about my career. Sometimes I'll be out walking, and people will come and hug me, and thank me for representing Peru with a good message. They also ask if I could perform in Peru more often" - something she rarely does.

Having explored her heritage, one move that would make sense would be for Baca to take her music home, all the way to Africa, the land of her ancestors. It's an idea that thrills her.

"I'd love to do that!" she enthused. "I've performed beside several African musicians at festivals, and they've always been interested in our percussion setup. They've felt this music is connected with them. I've talked to Baaba Maal. I'd love to work with him or another African singer."

Whether that might happen in the future remains to be seen. But so far Susana Baca has been on an intriguing, often magical musical journey. But it's not merely been about music. She's also discovered a great deal about herself, about the history and the forces that have helped shape her, and her country. She's grown into the person she is today, and in Espírituvivo she's made her first true masterpiece.

Susana Baca

"We all wondered whether there was any space, whether music was possible at that moment. "

"I'm seen as some kind of an idol, which is both flattering and amusing,"

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