Production:
Conjunto Cumanana
Brief review.
In mid-1958, Nicomedes, at the head of a group of amateurs, founded the Conjunto Cumanana with the purpose of staging his décimas on folkloric themes and give them a mixed structure of recitation, song and dance, in the form of small, objective, didactic and entertaining prints. On December 10 of that same year he presented his Conjunto for the first time at the Teatro Perricholi. It was formed by Carlos Hayre, Antonio Velásquez, Lucho, Juanona, Vicente and Oswaldo Vásquez. Later Carmen Carvallo, Teresa and Nelly Mendoza, Ronaldo Campos and Héctor Albújar joined the cast, performing with great success in the Saturday Creole programs of Radio Nacional del Perú.
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At the end of 1959, Nicomedes requested the collaboration of his sister Victoria. From that moment on, the Cumanana Ensemble became the Cumanana Company and went from the revisteril stamp, to what could well be the initiation of the Black Theater of Peru. The Cumanana Company came to have a cast of more than thirty artists.
On March 13, 1960, Victoria and NIcomedes, directors of the Company, premiered at the Teatro 'La Cabaña' the plays 'Callejón de un solo caño' (original comedy by both brothers); 'Academia folklórica' (comic play by Victoria) and 'Zanahary' (choreographic ritual by Victoria). Set designs by Odile Marley.
On April 14, 1961 they premiered at the Teatro Principal Manuel A. Segura, the drama in three acts 'Malató', original by Victoria (in which the authorship included some verses and prints by Nicomedes). Scenography by Marcelo Damonte.
In 1962 Victoria leaves for Europe on a scholarship at the Théâtre des Nations in Paris. Nicomedes ventures into journalism and the Company becomes inactive.
In 1963 Nicomedes regrouped the Company, restarted rehearsals and in December 1964 launched his most important recording: "Cumanana" (however, in previous and later albums, many of the members of the Company worked individually or as 'Cumanana').
Some members.
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Vicente Vásquez (1923 - 1987)
(Texto de 1975)
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First born of the eight children of the marriage of Don Porfirio Váquez to Mrs. Susana Díaz Molina, he was born in Lima on October 12, 1923. He began to play the guitar at the age of 7, being his first teacher his uncle Marcelino Boza, who was missing his left arm. "The first position my uncle Marcelino taught me was the G major, he indicated me and I did the positions in my own way", confesses Vicente.
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He studied elementary school at the 466 School Center of Jesus Maria and entered the Santa Rosa Festive Oratory, of the Salesian Fathers, in 1928 and to this day it is still an 'oratory'. There he began to practice soccer and that has been the passion of his life, starting in the '11 Amigos Walkusky', of Breña, 1937 and then joining the team of his love: 'Deportivo Municipal', whose youth divisions were coached by Mr. Luis 'Caricho' Guzmán. In 1946 he became a member of the first team of 'Muni', winning the 'Comercio e Industria' tournament. Vicente's style was very technical, conforming to the 'Academia' of Tito Drago (whom he admired), 'Caricho', Celi and Leopoldo Quiñónez.
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In 1944 he married Miss Juana Matamoros and from this happy union eight children were born.
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Since 1959, when we recorded our first long-playing record ('Nicomedes Santa Cruz y su Conjunto Kumanana'), Don Vicente has always lent me his invaluable collaboration. For twenty years he has been a guitar teacher in State Folkloric Schools, besides having many private students. But he started professionally playing in the stable ensemble of the local radio stations.
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In 1957 we traveled to Chile and in 1967 he accompanied me with the delegation I took to Salta (Argentina). In 1973 we returned to Argentina to perform at the Cosquín Festival and in 1974 the group of the Vásquez brothers accompanied me to the meeting 'Un cantar del Pueblo Latinoamericano', held in Cuba.
Oswaldo Vásquez Díaz
Lima, 1925. Cajoneador, zapateador y actor.
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Olga Olivares Vásquez
Lima, 1936. Primera bailarina.
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Ronaldo Campos de la Colina
San Luis de Cañete (Lima), 1927.Primer bailarín. Ejecuta toda clase de instrumentos de percusión.
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Héctor Albújar Dañino
Puerto del Callao, 1935. Cantante (posee registro de tenor y estudio en el Conservatorio Nacional de Música). Actor.
Nelly Mendoza Hernández
Lima. 1941. Bailarina y actriz.
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Antonio Velásquez Veliz
Lima, 1924. Guitarrista y cantante.
Vídeo Youtube Perfil John Sánchez.
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Carlos Hayre Ramírez
Lima, 1931. Músico: compositor y arreglista. Ejecuta el contrabajo.
Vídeo de Youtube. Perfil Diego Gianonni. Entrevista a Carlos Hayre realizada por Fred Rohner
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Mercedes Traslaviña Ruíz
San Luis de Cañete (Lima), 1932. Posee conocimientos de solfeo y teoría de la música. En los templos de Lima canta música sacra durante los oficios religiosos.
Vídeo Youtube. Perfil Lalitocy.
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Teresa Mendoza Hernández
Lima, 1939. Actriz, cantante y primera bailarina.
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Abelardo Vásquez Díaz
Lima, 1929. Primer bailarín, cantante, actor y ejecutante de instrumentos de percusión.
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Tértula Traslaviña Ruíz
San Luis de Cañete (Lima), 1936. Cantante y bailarina.
Vídeo Youtube. Perfil Lalitocy.
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Carmen Charun Ochoa
Lima, 1931. Integra el coro.
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Daniel Vásquez Díaz
Lima, 1933. Guitarrista, cantante y actor.
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Rafael Matallana Tirado
Lima, 1930. Cantante y actor
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Enrique Borja Tovar
Lima, 1927. Guitarrista y cantante
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Augusto Saldaña Ramírez
Lima, 1939. Integrante del coro.
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Miguel Benítez A.
Lima, 1936. Ritmo en quijada de burro.
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Guillermo N. Regueira
África, 1902. Ejecuta toda clase de instrumentos de percusión de origen africano.
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Orlando Soto
Cañete, 1924. Ritmo en quijada de burro.