Novalima

Representations

Founded by four Lima-based friends with a shared passion for traditional Afro-Peruvian music and global DJ culture, Novalima stands on common ground linking past and future, uniting tradition and innovation.

From humble beginnings, sharing musical ideas and producing their first album in different countries at the dawn of the Internet, Novalima are now a live musical force revered the world over for breaking boundaries and uniting seemingly irreconcilable genres, communities and generations. They have created an inspiring movement and revolutionized the music scene in their native Peru, bridging a long-standing gap between the mainstream and the Afro-Peruvian minority, who have been fighting discrimination and cultural dissolution for generations.

Over the course of their career, Novalima have received worldwide critical acclaim from both mainstream ( NPR, UK Guardian, Wall Street Journal, La Presse, Metro, Billboard) and underground media ( Giant Step, Remezcla, Sounds & Colors, Nat Geo ), and delivered legendary performances. around the world at festivals such as Roskilde, WOMAD, Pirineos Sur, NYC Central Park, the Montreal Jazz Festival and Chicago's Millennium Park , won a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Album and were featured in cult filmmaker Robert Rodriguez's Mexploitation hit Machete .

Although their sound is futuristic and avant-garde, the roots of Novalima's music go back hundreds of years. In an all-too-familiar story, African slaves were brought to Peru from the 1500s until the mid-19th century, establishing an outpost of the African diaspora on the Pacific coast of South America. Over the years, the soul and rhythms of Africa have blended with the melodies and instruments of Europe and the Andes. The result is a rich musical repertoire that has existed for generations on the periphery of Peruvian popular culture.