Between Waltzes and Bands: A Conversation with Virginia Yep onthe Vals Criollo and the Music of Bajo Piura

Abstract

This interview with Ph.D. Virginia Yep, renowned musicologist and author of seminal works such as Sin banda no hay fiesta, Música del Bajo Piura (2015), and El valse peruano: análisis musicológico de una de las expresión más representativas de la música criolla del Perú (1998), addresses crucial topics for Peruvian music. Throughout her extensive research career, Ph.D. Yep offers a valuable perspective on the musical bands of Piura, the development and evolution of the vals criollo, as well as a reflection on Mario Vargas Llosa's latest book, Le dedico mi silencio (2023). The conversation also expands into a broader analysis of the lives of Peruvians abroad, their ties to the culture and music of their homeland, and how this influence endures in transnational contexts. This interview provides a unique insight into the challenges and advances in Creole music research and the preservation of our cultural identity in a globalized world.