Peruvian Landó

Often times when we as drummers hear the term "Latin" we think one of two things;  Cuba or Brazil.  But let's not forget how broad the term "Latin" is (which is part of the reason I don't like to use it).  It encompasses all of the music from Latin America, which is essentially all of Central and South America.  Think of how many cultures that refers to, including all of the cultures from Europe and Africa that first influenced them.

So, when you want to play "Latin" music, or a band leader calls a "Latin" tune with no specific groove in mind, we should all start looking to other parts of Latin America for inspiration.

Let's start with Peru, specifically the Landó.  Just like jazz, or samba, a great deal of Peruvian music is a mixture of African and European musical elements.  The African elements of the Landó can be traced back to Angola, and the European elements - like much of South America - to Spain.  The African side of the music arrived with slaves initially in Brazil.  Apparently there is a musical culture in Brazil called Londo which is a close cousin to the Landó.

Like many other Latin American rhythms which have it's roots in Africa, the Landó can be felt in 12/8 or 6/4.

Here is a traditional Landó pattern as it would be played on a cajón, which many people often don't realize is native to Peru.

To apply this to the drumset we can simply play the low tones on the bass drum, and the slaps as a rim click.  Another part of the traditional Landó is the palmas, or hand claps.  Try this on either the ride cymbal or the shell of your floor tom.

Next time we'll talk about some other Peruvian grooves, as well as some traditional Peruvian instruments.