Blog
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GOSSIP
21 januari 201413 January:
Yester afternoon another half hr of impro and today all day for laptop repair again as if have got nothing better to do than to worry about technology...I want my life back. Half is used up by laptop...
17 Januari:
Last night it was rock ' roll mixed with samba and Bossa Nova improvisation when I met wit Carlos who introduced me to young couple from Brazil. She an artist he a musician and music teacher. Well, it did not last too long before I found a groove and an audience. Young and old appreciated my Elvis hp shakes mixed with Afro-Peruvian body shakes, normally reserved for the Afro waitresses who often dance to the cajon played by Afro-Peruvian Chaconga! Improvising in Portuguese or in Portugnol for an impro Bossa Nova or Samba was delirious. Not too bad, but as I already sang last week: I am a Belieber, but I am not Justin Bieber!
19 January:
We keep improvising...but accidentally I deleted all my 4 vids of improvisations with the Brazilian couple!! Does a tablet have a recycle bin? I don´t see one...to retrieve them.
20 January:
In the past week Chaco has been overcrowding on the promenade and beach. Now, we avoid those masses. I hate crowds. It is the season for backpacking Brazilians, Chileans, Argentineans...and not all is rosy. Fights among the dreadlocks ensue...not all love and peace either. This is different brand of hippie here in SA. Just today I caught Carlos in Pisco and he said he avoids being there too...and then he suprised me of how some of those Argentine hippies are gossiping about Valerie and I "They must have a lot of money, if they here stay that long ", "He must be living of her money", (implying I do! They think I am "a gigolo". ·Mesquino son, Carlos said. Yes, they are nasty pieces of work if they think like that. "Fishwives" asking Carlos where the bailarina, is...and talking behind our backs to the waiters and owners of teh restaurants. Envy jealousy comes from narrowminded people...Lees meer >> | 1295 keer bekeken
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LIVE IMPROVISATION WITH MY MUSICAL TALENT
21 januari 201415 jan 2014,
I started to record live in the streets. I am a dancer, singer, videast, painter...a multi-media artist. Here I improvise in Spanish and in others I will record in the coming weeks...in French, English, Portuguese, and mixed...
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TEMPORADA
21 januari 201402 jan 2014
Today the temporada (holiday season for 3 months) has started. The bai packed with holidaymakers of mostly the poorer people and those well off who stay in the big hotels like the Hilton. But today a little girl of 8 drowned and was put into a police (serenazgo) car unconscious to be driven to a medical post. Where was the ambulance? This happened in fury and frenzy. Where were the coastal guards I have seen off season, idling around and jetskiing when nothing to do? Chaco is understaffed for many things. They still have no proper sewage system, but the investments of corporations go in only that far. The mayor is corrupt and people live poorly, by the beach hoping to get some crumbs of the tourist table.
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PARACAS, I STAY.
21 januari 201401 jan 2014
A lazy morrning to you all. We, Valerie and I, had a nice evening last night. Not anything posh or lots of money we wanted to spent. Having shared one dish of tramboyo fish with sauteed veggies with a jug of lemmon juice. After that a Pisco sour and a glass for Valerie, and a red dry wine for me, and salsa in the background in the wine bar, run by an excellent couple in their 60s was ok...Still not sure about whether we wanted to 'camp ot' until midnight. The entire bay by the jetty was packed wit tents with visitors from Lima and other smaller towns possibly from the sierra as well. Then some restaurants had the ambience lights switched on an children and youths set off the occasional crackers and fireworks.
There was a boat booked by tourists which would take them ou tobthe sea to celebrate. As we walked home to lit up a pipe we stopped by a small eatery for the locals and where in the beginning we had meals too. There were children preparing dolls which the would be set alight. Something of a tradition I saw in Baños, in Ecuador in 2009. Then, more crackers and fire and lights soared through the dark sky, and around 5 to midnight the dolls who represented the old year started burning. Some deafening noise kept errupting...too loud for my ears and for two Viringo puppies (Meso-American dogs, a pre-Columbian breed) who yelped and barked for as long as the crackers went off.
Then the locals threw lentil seeds over me and in my hand. They also shared grapes..."tradition", the folks said. I felt honoured. We had a glass of papaya and pineaple juice while they sat the life size dolls down. They were six replicas of construction workers. The young boys examined them thoroughly. One even grabbed one doll in the crotch and giggled. A little girl confessed they looked scary. Dark blue overalls on them. A head like a football on which a face was scribbled most wearing a construction helmet and dito shoes. They all smiled an emoticon expression. While the tellies in the background spawned loud salsa and merengue, we just relaxed and sat back enjoyuing what was unfolding in front and above us. Of course I filmed quite a bit by 1.30 am we lit a nice pipe and eased into bed when the mozzies, gnats, and other nasty bugs became too much of a nuissance for us.
Today another antibiotic jab for my bronchial problems. But I am alive!Lees meer >> | 156 keer bekeken
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CONVERSANDO CON ALANN DE VUYST
25 december 2013by Kyl Robles
12 december 2013
La última vez que charlamos tomamos unas copas de vino y comimos algunas empanadas en algún lugar de Ica, charlamos bastante, de música, de filosofía, del amor y de otras cosas...
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A QUICK RECAP OF SOME POSTS I MADE ON MY OTHER BLOGS
7 december 20133 Nov 2013
I arrived in Lima 11.15 am, saw 3 movies in the plane (flew with TAM (Brazilian carrier), stay in Condor House guest house...basic accomodation, but smack in Miraflores. Valerie and I had a meal in a few hrs later, but I fought the tiredness. I crashed out at 4 pm and never got out of bed until this morning 7 am. I had a dream that lasted and looked like 3 feature movies. Today I ran my legs off with electronic hard and software to be repaired, which would cost me an arm and a leg back home. But hey...We are back in the sun, it is spring here..in Lima only 18 to 22 degrees. But I like to shout: Y viva Peru! Feliz de estar de vuelta! However, just an hour ago on the bus I told a preacher off. The guy taking a bus for a church and congregation. I managed to shut him up, as did two youngsters who jumped in half way between our arguments, and they started rapping. It was just in time. A science student hopped on board to ask for a "colaboracion" (some small change for his studies), I told the preacher to help the student, because science is what has saved more lives than any religion of this world.08 nov 2013, 15:37
Yesterday I went to see the art exhibition of artists from Pucallpa, say the Pablo Amaringo school. Ayahuasca visions, it was grand, and I got a gift...a beautiful catalogue with the works in it. Then we found ourselves a Belgian fries restaurant, run by the Belgian's associate who is a Peruvian. The Belgian left the business with him. Inside stood a grey Manneken Pis. We were served fries made of the only white potato Peru has, so flavour was not the same but still great. Then the owner's brother arrived, an ex Peruvian congress member, very erudite man, he made me laugh and he entertained us with anecdotes of his life and view on it. The Belgian food was flavoured with Italian charisma and verbal spices...10 nov 2013
last night I was so glad to leave Lima, having spent our last night in the hostel where the entire afternoon they had peen painting the walls of an adjacent bathroom. The smell of thinners (spirits) wafted everywhere to the point that I and Valerie had to stay out of the hostel for a few hours. Being an asthmatic and Valerie coping with some bronchial problems made it horrible for us. In the morning of our departure I had a row over it with the young lady who ran it. Anyway, after 4,4 (it took 1,5 to get of Lima because of the traffic) we finally ended up in Chaco, where to my great surprise we were put up in the hostel next to the Cruz Del Sur Bus stop, and the hostel here happened to offer promotional rates. we are staying in a neat room, best mattresses I have ever had in Peru, clean beds, neat showers, a little patio in the front by the main road but we are shaded by a bamboo roof and walls. I think we settle here for at least 2 weeks, chilling out from all the hassle in Lima (just 10 minutes before I boarded the taxi by our hostel, I discovered a little museum with authentic handicraft pieces, also Shipibo Indian pottery) and from the routine and gloomy weather in England. However, the reason why I wanted to stop here, in Chaco, was to see the Paracas museum which has several elongated skulls, is said to be shut down. I hope to see the owner and find out if he could still opened up just this once for me. I might do some art work here, as I said, I just discovered this little paradise by the sea and port from where I want to do once more a trip to the Islas Bellestas (the Ballestas Islands, a birds reserve) which we did 2 years ago. it is quiet, here the sun shines and it is not overcrowded,a blue sky unlike the grey one in Lima. We stacked up with food from the local supermarket for our breakfasts. For the first time in years we watched a movie on our flat screen in the room: The bridge over river Kwai and on the bus I saw something with brad Pitt, about someone born old and becoming young and die. Strange weird movie...some of the sounds resounded deep within myself...but I wonder if someone wrote this movie on something a man once quoted...I think it was George Carlin who said it would be better to be born old or was it Woody Allen?
13 nov 2013
Being, residing in the town of Chaco, which is part of the Paracas province is very charming. The only drawback is that we have internet at a snail´s pace, so much that once FB open I hvae to wait 5 minutes or more to turn to a next page...so in the end I switch off the internet. It simply is not possible to even upload or download. But hey, I have known the days of pre-internet. I have become spoiled since 1996 to believe that interenet is to be everywhere at your finger tips. Then, last night I paused and said: That´s OK...I can do without. I will take it from day today...enjoy being here. What? We have heavely blue sky to look at, filled with flying things called birds, storks, species I have never seen before,. Because Chaco is part of the nature reserve. And very soon Valerie and I will visit the reserva of Paracas to observe my brothers and sisters the Flamingoes. Yesterday afternoon, I was reading a few chapters of a book on shamanism...when se stopped me and pointed out a pair of dolphins whose backs and fins we only saw up and down the waves. Plenty of fish to catch for them.
The day before we ventured out beyond Chaco bay where the rich people live (8 million dollars for a house there! Bough in the 80s by 4 families (Swiss, American, British, and Peruvian) and saw huge jellyfish the length in diameter of my forearm, in all colours. But what was funny was that some days before I told Valerie the legend of the boto (Amazon dolphin called like that in Brazil). The boto comes at night to impregnate single women and in daytime he wears a hat to hide the fountain hole in his head. (I was often asked if I was a boto then), he is reputed to be handsome, which I was at age 29 for many natives of Brazil. So, I said to Valerie: "This is your medicine, you saw them, they are here for you." We observed them for 15 minutes and then they went to deeper waters. Only a few minutes later in the third chapter of the book, the shaman talked about dolphins in the Amazon whose sexual organ is much sought after and makes women moan with desire when they are near dolphins. I had no idea this was to come...again, I feel things, and believe they come at the right time.
I am trying this from a cybercafé in Pisco, that´s why you should not wonder, how I managed to write this down. I came to call my mother from here. Pisco is said to be dangerous like Lima...But we will have to venture out from Chaco to San Andres (5km from Chaco, to try the fish market, and the eateries, half the price cheaper than in touristy Chaco. Chaco also has a private museum that holds the elongated mysterious skulls from teh ancient Paracas people of 1500 years ago. And Yesterday, a tout who works for a restaurant where we had a coffee, befriended us and has invited us to go to visit the pier of Pisco (which was demolished 70 years ago nand which they are going to rebuild.) The sea used to come much further than where she is now...This area is prone to earthquakes, tsunamis and el Niño...So, they had it all in the past 70 ears. But now we coud see cormorants, pelicans and more, there, and after that he will invite us to his home to eat fish prepared by his wife! Ah, si, la vida es linda aqui...We will certainly go an redo the Islas Bellestas, before our hotel rakes up its price inDecember when The high season starts. Our place now for which we pay 50 soles per night per room, will be 200 in December and for us , as good customers, 70 soles. 1 dollars now 2,67 soles. Yes, the dollar went nose diving. We came down to Caco to chill out, and that´s exactly what I am going to do, where elsewhere in the mountains it rains...and in Europe you brace yourselves for a brave winter. Hasta la vista, muchachos!21 nov 2013
Just now, we are sitting in classy restaurant Juan Pablo (where there is fast wi-fi in the the town of Chaco, and right now it is kind of chilly and very windy (Paracas winds) and the boys are playing football half naked on the beach and just now as I am typing they even went swimming the ice cold sea!
Also I interviewed a man (ex healer) called Juan Navarro, owner and founder of the private little museum Paracas, where you can see elongated skull and Paracas culture, Inca, and Chincha. Filmed him. But now I got to leave you guys, cause I am going to have dinner...Prawns in a curry sauce...next to Valerie Hunt who has just started her prawns in mango chutney. White and red wine for us...Cheers!
I have lots more news...unfortunately, the internet is so weak at the place where we are lodged. In the pas week we have visited a tambo built by the Inca Pachacutec Yupanqui, known as the Tambo Colorado. We also plan to visit in the coming weeks a trail of 6000 tracks (each 2 meters deep and 1 meter apart from each other) over pampa hills, which seems to shape the figure of a snake. It first appeared in 1940-41 in the Nat Geo magazine then. Von Daniken had his theories about it, but no one really knows anything about. Seeing maybe Brien Foerster tomorrow when he comes to deliver his books at the Paracas museum. I will have to sit down in the coming days and write down what I have seen and what I think. There plans to travel to Pucallpa (me alone probably, and Ayacucho). Uploading photos is a pain..and so is a lot of text for the moment. Please let me know if you are interested in seeing more updates.MYSTERIOUS PARACAS, 21 november 2013
Since our arrival in Chaco I haven't really chilled out in the literal sense of the word, more likely I heated up in passion for what lay within my reach of discovery of the rich and enigmatic culture we don't know the name of, but which we have for the time being dubbed Paracas, because that was the place that Dr. Julio C Tello had found mummies with elongated skulls, who had their religious, ceremonial, and administrative centre at Cahuachi in Nasca province.Within a couple of days I went looking for a museum that had some of those skulls on display, and which I had seen examples of on Brien Foerster's Facebook webpage. Intriguing they were, and more so knowing that they were a highly artistic people, who apparently had no minds bent on war, as no real weapons were discovered or proof, evidence thereof. What they had found was an arsenal of musical instruments of gigantic sizes such as antares of 150 centimetres high and drums a meter tall.
Archaeologist Alberto Urbano who I met this year when I lived for 4 months in Nasca, in the municipal museum, said in an interview I held with him, that the Paracas had knowledge of music on a high level because they knew to play music in symphony. The west could not, and did not want to believe that a 'primitive' society did not restrict itself to a pentaphonic scale.Anyway, Chaco, is a little harbour with a bay from where fishermen leave everyday in small boats toward the Islas Ballestas, now declared the reserve of Paracas, with a variety of birds ranging from cormorants, gannets, gulls, and pelicans to animals like sea lions, spider crabs, dolphins and the occasional whale. Rich enough for a daily income of international tourists. Chaco provides Spain with anchovies from here, and they still collect tons of guano for turned into natural fertiliser for national and international usage .
The bay was also known for the Spanish galleons that exported the gold stolen from the Incas to Spain, which was also coveted by the English pirates, the likes of Francis Drake.. So, much information that one has to ingest on the toruist crammed speedboats that took me to the islands.At the museum of History, run by Juan Navarro Hierro, - a self taught historian and owner of the museum, - I learned more of the Paracas culture by looking at the enigmatic skulls and listening to what Alberto and Juan told me. Sure, but one has only to look deeper and wonder how can people who knew how to operate on the brain by opening skulls, or closing skull fractures or holes made in the bone through techniques such as drilling, scraping and sawing in them. War victims's skull holes were sealed with gold laminates...There is the wonder of what a chandelier (candelabro) does on a flank of a coast cliff? Juan tells me with ease, that as child it was known as the cactus, becuse that is what it was, later it was known as the trident(e). It became known as the candelabro after the s Spaniards had arrived, they called it that. Obviously, Juan says, because before their arrival the candelabro was unknown to the people here. It works more like the southern cross, or as a light tower, Juan adds, because the Paracas have always fared the ocean guided by the southern cross, which is very often present in their textiles and ceramics.
The Paracas traded with the people from what is now known as Ecuador (known then as Chinsasuyo as part of the Tawantinsuyo of the Incas), because they found necklaces of spondylus shells, which was only found in Ecuador and was highly valued.Juan, a charismatic 'teacher' and ex- healer, tells me with passion, and puts his heart in the matter when he describes how the Paracas turned into a passion for him the minute he inherited cardboard boxes from his dad and mum. Passed on by his grandfather to his dad, he had no idea what those boxes contained and had never known of their existence as a youth.The boxes contained the valuable skull that no one had ever studied or analysed. So, he started his own research; read books on archaeology, history, invited experts from Lima to look at the skulls and give their opinion. Recenly Brien Foerster became involved and had a geneticist from the USA take one of the skulls for a DNA scan. This revealed that that particular skull was not from Paracas.
Brien Foerster is a Canadian artist/sculptor who started working with and for Juan some 10 years ago, and is now based in Cusco doing research on the megalithic stones and elongated skulls found in what once was Tawantinsuyo. Juan, who showed me a number of weird skulls such as a pre-Andean, an Inca, many from Paracas, and others with unnatural seams, dividing the skulls in more than the usual lobes, pointed out one that was said not to be a skull from a man that lived here (Paracas) and one whose DNA they haven't been able to identify.But Juan is a simple man, with his heart on the right place; people and TV stations seem to find him now, and want him to lead them to mysterious places, like he did when he took me and my friend Valerie ten days ago to Tambo Colorado.This is a very coloured garrison built by the Inca Pachacutec Yupanqui around 1474. It was about an hours ride by taxi, driving over side roads, left and right of the Panamerican highway, alongside the Pisco river, past the town of Humay, where in 1553 the Pisco drink was born and cultivated by the Spaniards from seeds of the Canary Islands grapes.The tambo is huge and quite a labyrinth in which Juan twice lost the direction toward the exit. The Inca had his own bath and one for his coyas (princesses, his wives) and they are well preserved. The tambo was that well built that it survived several earthquakes, and that in comparison with 20th century buildings in Pisco town which were raised to the ground with the last one. The Incas had already developed quakeproof architecture and it still withstands the quakes today. The tambo drew many treasure seekers as soon as it was known that the Inca once had given orders to melt down all the golden idols which they had, in order to hide them from the Spaniards, lusting for gold and on their way to the Tambo Colorado.
Juan goes on to tell me on film, that not so long ago a gang of looters arrived at the Tambo to find the gold, but were found by the INC (Instituto Nacional de Cultura) guards and told to leave the place. Apparently they had found something but had not been able to take it with them in time.When a group of tourists arrived some time after that, they found boys playing football in the square where Pachahcutec (the architect Inca) had had his troops lined up. The goal consisted of some rocks. One of the rocks that was the shape of a ball, seemed highly interesting to them, so much so that they took the ball with them. Juan concludes that the ball which was actually at first sight no more than a mud ball, but in fact it was molten gold covered in dried mud, probably made by the looters who left it behind.Each room that we visited in the tambo had at least a dozen niches in which had stood a golden idol. So imagine how much gold is still buried there, hidden from the Spanish?Lees meer >> | 2028 keer bekeken
BACK IN THE UK
4 mei 2013
Hello dear readers,
It seems ages ago since I last wrote something down here. To be honest, I lack the time and the animo for it...1,5 half on the road in Peru and Ecuador, organising, coordinating shows (Lima, Moquegua, Cajamarca and 2 in Vilcabamba in Ecuador) in foreign lands and on the continent left me non-plussed, and the mananas without ending frustrated and disappointed. Five months before I left Peru I had been robbed of my bank cards, and I still don´t know how it happened. But fortunately some good things happened to me too: like the purchase of works in Cajamarca/ Peru by a gentleman/art connoisseur who saw my show at the Interbank. The man is also the proprietor of a huge disco/loung/bar/art mezzanine, and wanted to show the remainder of my body of work for as long as I like in there. What a privilege!
The show, of w
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AMERINDIGENA EN CAJAMARCA
8 oktober 2012Yes, after Lima’s dreadful experience with an Limeňan agent, called Liliane Chaparro, I finally pulled it off in the Cuzco of the north. I brought my digital portraits of Inca Athahualpa, who was murdered here by Pizarro, his henchmen, and a Dominican priest called Valverde, home. So that the people, descendants of those who used to know him, may relive in history, their past and present. And see how I turned their historical supreme leader’s face into the bright Andean blue and pink, with strong accents in gold, the metal for which he had to die a disgraceful death of strangulation.
More than 100 visitors came to see my show of paintings, objet trouvé, installations, on the 5th of October, which also coincided with the start of cultural festivities and the week of tourism, here at the gallery of Interbank by the Plaza the Armas. I got enough press coverage to see my show through with pleasure until the end, which is the 26th of October.
People, a 100, surely, was more than what any show really gets here in this town, which is still largely Indigenous for a 70%, from all walks of life, enjoyed what I brought with me.
A different cup of coca tea, a view by a westerner well versed in indigenous politics. The indigenista School in itself spawned a lot of art and literature in the 19th and 20th century, and my work is quite unfamiliar in style, but deep in themes and contents that touches the soul of those who are indigenista who live here and have to fight off a gold rush and pay for it with their lives for the past 30 years.
I do need to give a big thanks to my sponsors like Dircetours, INC employees, such as Septimo who is also an activist pro indigenous rights; but if it hadn’t been for Enrique Guerero Castillo and his friends, a painter, graphic arts, mystic, who I met in 2009, when he had his exhibition in the same room at the Interbank, it would never have been materialised. Everything falls into slots. These 9 months of travelling and exhibiting in Peru en Ecuador, had to have a happy ending some time, and it did.
Lima was not the place for art that celebrates Indigenous values; it has never been and will never be. It is as alien to those peoples and values as New York when the goldrush started in California, Wyoming, etc, where they deported and massacred the Native Americans for their resources of gold, silver, copper, land, etc.
I also say a big thank you to my dear friend Valerie, who has stood me by in health and stress, with kind word and empathy, and who thus, deserves sharing in the merit and success of this show, that will end on the 26th of October.
My show is here just on time and on its place, and as an homage to all peoples indigenous who suffer the hardship of exploitation for decades by mining companies like Conga (from Canada) who has tried any means possible to delude the people here, whose lakes they destroyed and contaminated for ever.
They deserve attention, they deserve respect. Enough is enough, so stop the exploitation fo their culture, land, resources, lives. Give them dignity!
After peaceful strikes in which the police killed on and wounded 17, the government suspended the mining, but there is still tension here, and it is only under the skin, anything can erupt at any time.After having lived 14 months in Cuzco between 2005 and 2005 and having exhibited in the Qoricancha (the Sun temple) and in another dozen places there, my art moved to the most important cities of Peru.
I might stay here for a while, and discover more of Cajamarca’s sun worship history that might give me even more insight into this country’s neo-colonial government’s policies toward the indigenous inhabitants, of which one family put us up for 11 days. One of the most endearing experiences in Cajamarca for me.We must try to always walk in beauty, no matter how hard the road, shod or unshod.
Jallala
ALANN
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AMERINDIGENA CATALOGUE PAGE 3
7 juli 2012
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The catalogue inner pages...for my Lima show....
7 juli 2012PAGE 2
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