Creole Music Day: Dance to a New Rhythm This October 31st in Lima
If you don’t feel like dressing up for Halloween in Peru, don’t worry, there’s another option: Peru has celebrated Día de la Canción Criolla, Creole Music Day, on October 31st for the past 71 years. Here are our suggestions for how to have a memorable time celebrating the day in Lima at different price levels, from free to modest to expensive.
Take advantage of the celebrations to learn 
about the lively musical heritage of the Peru’s desert coast, a heritage that dates back to the colonial period and combines African, Spanish, and Andean musical influences to create distinctive rhythms using instruments ranging from the Spanish guitar and castanets to the Afro-Peruvian percussive cajón (Peruvian box) and the rhythmic quijada (donkey jawbone).
Many creole musical genres were only heard at private gatherings until ethnographers and musicologists in the 1950s struggled to compile its forms and bring it to light in spite of racism. Different genres include the festive Festejo, the bluesy Landó, the graceful Marinera (Peru’s national dance), and the Vals Criolla, a creole waltz. Some of its most famous singers are known around the world: Chabuca Granda, Eva Ayllon, and the unstoppable Susana Baca.
The best place to celebrate is in Lima, where you’ll enjoy a range of options for different budgets:
No $…. Even if you’re low on dough, you can pay homage to one of the founding greats, Chabuca Granda, by visiting the Bridge of Sighs in the artsy enclave of Barranco (the colorful seaside district right next to Miraflores). She made this spot famous in one of her songs. In fact, she is so associated with this area that, crossing the bridge and heading towards the statue of her in the Parra del Riego Plaza (by the chapel stairs and the gardens), you will find many street musicians- some in Chabuca drag- eager to play you one of her songs in exchange for some small change. This is a great (and cheap!) plan because it gives you an excuse to explore Barranco, a must-see.
$…. Lima is replete with peñas, where you can enjoy Peruvian fare while listening to traditional live music. Most, like Peña El Carajo, plan special line-ups with drinks included for the 31st. If you want to fit this into your sightseeing itinerary, check with Pirwa Travel Service for information about city tours in Lima which include folkloric shows.
$$…. If you’ve got some cash on you, you 
can spend the evening of Oct 30th or 31st with one of Peru’s musical icons, the internationally known and Grammy-nominated Eva Ayllon at the Peruano Japonés theater at 8pm as she performs traditional songs accompanied by dancers and live musicians. Tickets are available online through Teleticket, with prices ranging from 64 to 264 Peruvian soles (the cheapest tickets available were 38 soles, but these have unfortunately already sold out).
Pirwa’s hostel in Lima is located in the Miraflores neighborhood of Lima, the most recommended base for travelers from which to explore the city. Some travelers run right past Lima into the waiting arms of tourist hot spots such as Cusco or Arequipa, but we believe the city should be considered a requisite multi-day stop for food and culture lovers. From the green seaside cliffs of Miraflores that are so popular with para-gliders and surfers, to the pre-Columbian and even pre-Incan pyramid shrines surrounded by the modern buildings, to the best museums and restaurants in the country, the ‘City of Kings’ is not to be missed!