Susana Baca in New York

Susana Baca is a Peruvian singer and songwriter, born in Lima in 1944, whose work preserves and develops Afro-Peruvian musical traditions. Her interpretation of “María Landó” reached wider audiences through the Luaka Bop compilation The Soul of Black Peru; her best-known recordings also include the albums Eco de sombras and Lamento negro. At WOMAD festivals, Susana Baca has performed Afro-Peruvian songs accompanied by an ensemble centered on guitar and percussion. In 2015, she brought that concert format to NPR Music’s Tiny Desk.