Today marks the 25th anniversary of the death of Peruvian singer and songwriter, Chabuca Granda. Of her numerous accomplishments, she is renown for her endeavors to unite the cultures of Latin America through the collective consciousness of “la cultura criolla” (creole culture) and show the important inheritance of Spanish culture in the Americas. Her music as much as her message still live on to this day.

In “el comercio” today, the newspaper of record in Lima, Perú, you can find an informative article about Chabuca Granda written in Spanish. You can find that article here.

You can also find a video of Chabuca Granda singing live and talking about her interest in putting the spotlight on the subcultures of Perú, such as the “cultura negra”, from which Peruvian music has received such a strong influence on the coast. You can see that video by following the link in the article from “el comercio” or by following it from here.

In honor of Chabuca Granda, 25 years after her death, we would like to take this time to recognize the immensity of her achievements and the value of considering the cultures of Latin America and Spain as interconnected, as we continue our study of the language spoken in these numerous countries. What Chabuca Granda saw so clearly- that the actual cultural state of Perú is a result of “criollismo” (creolism) -can help us all to understand why it is important to learn about the diversity of the Spanish language and the cultures in which this language is spoken.

In memory of one of the most beautiful voices to pronounce the Spanish language, let us recognize Chabuca Granda today.