Libro: El Cajón afro peruano

Presentation of the book “ The Afro-Peruvian Cajon”

The Afro-Peruvian Cajon was presented in:

• Lima, January, 2004
• Cervantes Institute, Rio de Janeiro, October, 2004
• Casa Patas Foundation, Madrid, December, 2004
• Maison de l’Amérique Latine, Paris, January, 2005
• The English version is currently being prepared.

Book and CD ROM Structure: THE AFRO-PERUVIAN CAJON

1. DEDICATION
2. FOREWORD (written by the musicologist Raul R. Romero, Catolica University)
3. TESTIMONY (done by the Peruvian percussionist Alex Acuña)
4. INTRODUCTION
5. BEAT OF THE DRUM
6. LOOKING FOR THE CAJON
7. THE CAJON IN CUBA
8. THE CAJON IN SPAIN
9. THE CAJON IN PERU
10. IS THE CAJON……. (poem) E. Lopez
11. THE FINAL BEAT
12. EXERCISES IN SCORE (some exercises to get to know the cajon)
13. CAJON……. (poem) N. Santa Cruz
14. RHYTHMIC PATTERNS (the main rhythmic patterns written on stave)
15. TRANSCRIPTIONS – SCORES (Transcription of some songs that include patterns for the cajon)
16. ILLUSTRATIONS
17. PICTURES (recent photograph session and old pictures)
18. OLD STYLES
19. THE MEASURES AND THE CONSTRUCTION
20. CONSTRUCTION OF A HOMEMADE CAJON (How to create your own cajon)
21. MONSERRATE AND ARCINIEGA (article) NSC
22. CAJONEROS (information about the cajon players)
23. HOW TO PLAY A CAJON
24. GENTLEMEN, THE CAJON DIED (song) F. Lobaton
25. ONLY FOR EXPERTS (practical advices)
26. GLOSSARY (terms used)
27. BIBLIOGRAPHY
28. THANKS
29. ABOUT THE COMPACT DISC (description of how the CD was recorded). The book “THE AFRO-PERUVIAN CAJON” includes a CD ROM also called “THE AFRO-PERUVIAN CAJON”. It has 19 themes and/or musical examples played by Peru’s most acknowledged cajoneros as Freddy Lobaton, Eduardo Balcazar, Manuel Vásquez, Gigio Parodi, Juan Medrano Cotito, Marco Oliveros, etc. The musical examples explanations, the positions and even a song for three cajones can be seen and listened thanks to a video that runs once you introduce the disc in your computer or DVD.

Comments about the book

1. “THE PERUVIAN CAJON BIBLE IS INTRODUCED TODAY”
   The book comes with a CD ROM which contains a video and sound tracks.
   Raul Cachay
   EL COMERCIO NEWSPAPER
   January 8th, 2004

2. “A LEERLO DE CAJON” (CAN’T MISS IT, HAVE TO READ IT”)
   Rafael Santa Cruz presents an informed and didactic publication.
   CARETAS MAGAZINE
   January 15th, 2004

3. “THE CAJON HAS ITS BOOK ALREADY”
   “The Afro-Peruvian Cajon”, book in which the historical origins, the social evolution, the construction of this musical instrument and the ways to play it……………. are studied.
   Francisco Estrada
   PERU 21 NEWSPAPER
   January 15th, 2004

4. I find the book extremely interesting for it can help to awaken qualities inherent in the human being. This because it refers to rhythm…….
   Victoria Santa Cruz – Musicologist
   PERU 21 NEWSPAPER
   January 15th, 2004

5. It is the first time a work of this level is done for the Peruvian cajon. And Rafael is an expert in it. This book is not only for musicians but also amateurs who will learn and enjoy. We can say that this book is a start, an important one because I believe in this book’s great power, which will contribute to spread the Afro-Peruvian music.
   Jorge Madueño – Musician
   PERU 21 NEWSPAPER
   January 15th, 2004

6. “CLAIMS WHAT IS OURS”
   Rafael Santa Cruz made his dream come true: he presented his book “The Afro-Peruvian Cajon”…….
   LA REPUBLICA NEWSPAPER
   March 3rd, 2004 (Fame Page 11)

7. In a research dedicated to the Afro-Peruvian cajon, Rafael Santa Cruz, besides telling this instrument’s development and evolution, claims its undeniable Peruvianism. A convenient statement if we consider that its origin is being ignored in some places around the world.
   EL COMERCIO NEWSPAPER
   February 22nd, 2004
   (El Dominical year 50 no 256)

8. …… that’s why the book published by Rafael Santa Cruz is a necessary and welcome product which we celebrate with joy (and pisco). “The Afro-Peruvian Cajon” is a text with a compact disc that gathers information in two substantial parts. The first part, with its graphic and written sources, informs us about the presence of the cajon in the American and Peruvian culture; and the second part, informs us about the ways of making a cajon and playing it, with the rhythmic patterns written in scores by Mónica Rojas, transcribed into a computer version by Renato Neyra and played by several masters in the video produced by Mabela Martinez………
   Chalena Vásquez
   RADIO LIBERTAD MUNDO AND LA VOZ DE LA CALLE
   January 14th, 2004

9. …… Now, a book written by the musician Rafael Santa Cruz reveals the instrument’s noble but humble origin, which should be celebrating more than 150 years of rhythmic and fruitful life. Its use grows everyday.
   LA REPUBLICA NEWSPAPER
   February 1st, 2004. Special

10. …… A book that renders tribute from the title, to one of our closest musical instruments. With skilful writing, Santa Cruz gives us a vision of the cajon’s origin, evolution and rhythmic patterns…..
    Alonso Rabi Do Carmo
    EL COMERCIO NEWSPAPER
    February 1st, 2004

11. After hard research, Rafael Santa Cruz presents on Thursday his book “The Afro-Peruvian Cajon” in which he talks about the origins, evolution and anecdotes of this Peruvian instrument. In addition, it offers pictures, scores, rhythmic patterns, audio and video.
    EXPRESO NEWSPAPER
    February 5th, 2004

12. I congratulate the contribution Rafael Santa Cruz is doing with his work. It not only will allow us to learn more about this important musical instrument but will also enrich our Afro-Peruvian Culture knowledge.
    Alex Acuña – Percussionist
    From Los Angeles, USA

13. …… this book becomes a must for any reader interested in the Peruvian cajon history. This book does not give a nationalist discourse nor reads the cajon history through local eyes. Even less does this book belong to the traditional way to study folklore, where romantic and sentimental visions prevail. The objectivity of Santa Cruz’s work is commendable, and there lies its real virtue.
    Raúl Romero Cevallos
    Director of the Andean Ethno-musicology Centre
    Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (Catolica University)

14. “I wouldn’t have been able to put together my knowledge about the cajonistica, nor my memories and observations about this topic, if there hadn’t been the publication of Rafael Santa Cruz’s book, The Afro-Peruvian Cajon, which acted in me as an effective spur to compose the present work. It is obvious that theoreticians in cajonistica are not common, neither are the studies of it. The cajonistica is a recent discipline of little development and slow progress. Rafael Santa Cruz and the one who writes this, pioneers “cajonisticologos”, have set the foundations of this discipline and made their own contributions. Let the researchers to improve them and contribute”.
    Marco Aurelio Denegri
    Preliminary study of his book Cajonistica
    April, 2004
    Association for Humanistic Studies

15. The well-known actor and musician Rafael Santa Cruz is now writing, and yesterday presented his book “The Afro-Peruvian Cajon”, important historical legacy that tells the vicissitudes of our cajon, national patrimony……”
    LIBERACION
    March 2nd, 2004