Susana Baca: One-on-one with a two-time Grammy winner

Weekend Magazine: You produced a CD on indigenous Nigerian music. Why did you feel the need to do so? Susana Baca: Yes, it was a musical CD of indigenous Nigerian music. It is a project aimed at changing the complex mentality of Afro-descendants in South America about their cultures. Such cultural promotion for me is […]

Weekend Magazine: You produced a CD on indigenous Nigerian music. Why did you feel the need to do so?
Susana Baca: Yes, it was a musical CD of indigenous Nigerian music. It is a project aimed at changing the complex mentality of Afro-descendants in South America about their cultures. Such cultural promotion for me is identified with economic growth and national unity. Any country that promotes its culture is far less inferior in today’s world. My first participation at Operabuja, in 2012 was a huge success and my husband felt that the Abuja Metropolitan Music Society had performed excellently. He thought that such a performance should be documented and produced in a CD for our people in Peru. With the help of the director of AMEMUSO, Cecilia Toledo, we secured an invitation to come. We recorded two CDs. The first one is the recreation of my first participation at Operabuja and the other is a private project, which will also feature AMEMUSO choir and other artistes across the world. The idea behind this is that after recording here at the Hilton, we will take it to Peru for the post production and bring them during the next Operabuja. I came a second time to make the last encounter of cultures that happened in my first Operabuja outing, stronger. This time, I have come with the finished CDs. My view is that, we should put our voices are together – Peruvians and Nigerians, in the music that we share. I feel that if we put our voices together, afro-descendants in South America and Nigerians here, we will make a better world. I really wanted the cultural encounters taking place here to be reflected in the CD so that after watching them in the CD, Afro-descendants in Peru would either come to Nigeria to watch Operabuja live or invite Operabuja to come and perform in Peru.

WM: What is your attraction to OperAbuja?
Baca: My first Operabuja performance was marvelous and way beyond my expectations from Nigerian artistes. While they performed, I observed some similarities between Nigeria’s music culture and that of Afro-descendants in South America. This reminded me of our oneness. I immediately could see some of these similarities also when I was invited by the minister of tourism, culture and national orientation, Chief Edem Duke to the Abuja Carnival. The emotions I felt were so overwhelming, I disappeared into the crowd and people were afraid that something might have happened to me. But I was in the midst of the crowd, among participants in their costumes. I was dancing and crying because I felt I was from here. The feeling was incredible. Although we have lost all our contacts to the past, to slavery, I felt at home here. I finally did understand that I am from this part of the world. This is the reason I would love my fans all over the world, to know about Operabuja.

WM: How would you describe the relevance of culture to economic development?
Baca: A country without a culture is nothing and has no identity. Culture is the basis for everything we do and therefore the most important. Sadly, Peruvian politicians don’t take it as seriously as they should because they don’t understand why they should. The budget for the ministry of culture in Peru is the lowest and ironically, Peru is very important in terms of culture. There are incredible historical monuments for humanity but government does not bring money for their developments. Peru has pyramids like Egypt does and other incredible tourist destinations but our people and government don’t even feel proud of their cultural heritage.  People with more cultures recognise their own values and feel proud about their past. Their history and heroes are more identified with unity and progress and the people are less complex because they feel surer of who they are and where they are coming from. To build a good country, there must be investment in culture, and investment in the culture of the people to make them proud of whom they are.
WM: Please share with us what it felt like being the first black female minister in Peru’s history.
Baca: To be a minister of Afro-descendants in power in a country that is very discriminatory against the black was incredible. However, it was a triumph to make Peruvians understand that we are all equal and love the country equally. I am particularly very proud that I could carry the people who were discriminated upon, and that I was able to create unity among Afro-descendants. I have always been fighting for the rights of black people of afro-descendants in South America. I have written a book with my husband about African cultural heritage that was brought to South America and how bad it could be to undermine or devalue it. Being minister after so many years of fighting for our rights meant victory for our people. The discrimination was so strong that Afro-descendants could no longer identify with Africans but wanted to be as white as possible. This resulted in loss of identity and that is the reason this work with AMEMUSO is very important. It will make them feel pride in their origin and cultures once again. They don’t know how good African culture is and how connected it is. Through this CD, they will feel pride in Peru to be Afro-descendants, and feel proud of this incredible connection with Africa. They will feel important in their country and the whole world. That is the greatest reason for this project.

WM: What do you consider your biggest achievement?
Baca: For the first time in the history of Peru, I was able to open the door of the culture ministry to people of other nations, especially Indians, and those of Afro-descent and all the countries that were discriminated against. They were able to make their requests and talk about their cultures and various ethnicities. Before then, decisions were taken without their input. For instance, if someone was going to flare gas near their homes, they were not taken into consideration. So I sponsored a bill that challenged government officials on their abuse of power in this regard. It questioned if it were their own homes, they would allow for gas flaring to be done near them. The bill was also to enlighten the different communities on how to get benefits unlike before when they were not considered for anything. I equally initiated a bill to stop discrimination against people of other descents. The delay in passing it into law was because the country is not keen about it.

WM: In what ways has Nigeria impacted you that you will be sharing with Peru?
Baca: I am very thrilled about the AMEMUSO choir and glad to have participated in it all this time. They are great artistes who interpret and sing the songs in such a beautiful way that I have not seen before. Their directors and talents are excellent and can do many more things with music. Going back with me is the feeling that in Nigeria, everybody is a singer (laughter). I will go with the dream that the group will one day come to Peru and interpret their songs in a Peruvian theatre.