Description
Founded by four friends from Lima united by a shared passion for traditional Afro-Peruvian music and global DJ culture, Novalima has always stood at the crossroads of past and future, tradition and innovation. What began as a long-distance experiment — four founders living in London, Barcelona, Hong Kong, and Lima, emailing song ideas to one another at the dawn of the internet has grown into one of the most electrifying live acts in world music today.
Their genre is truly one of a kind. Novalima’s music is rooted in Afro-Peruvian percussion and chants, fused with dub reggae, electronic beats, funk, soul, and afrobeat. Those roots stretch back to the 1500s, when African slaves brought to Peru forged a new musical tradition as the soul of Africa melded with the melodies of Europe and the Andes.
Live, the effect is transformative. Their sets move fluidly from 3/4 rhythms to global 4/4 beats, from landó 6/8 to dub, from festejo to funk and house. Latin Grammy nominated and revered worldwide, Novalima has also created a genuine social movement at home, helping bridge a longstanding cultural divide between mainstream Peru and its Afro-Peruvian community. They have performed at Central Park SummerStage, the Montreal Jazz Festival, WOMAD, Roskilde Festival, and some of the world’s most prestigious stages.
