Witness the powerful impact that jazz theory and improvisation has had on the new generation of “criolla and afro-Peruvian” musicians Peru. In a discussion featuring La Quinta, a Lima-based band that seeks to reimagine what it means to play Peruvian musica criolla (“creole music”). Experience — through listening, seeing and discussing — the power that improvisation has had on our coastal music and the resulting impression on the newer generation of creole artists. We will discuss how Ruben Alonso, the drummer, approaches coastal rhythms such as the festejo, vals, and landos through the lens of a jazz drummer. Alexis Kagüe, the guitarist, will present how he has reimagined the sonority of the traditional Peruvian guitar so prominently featured in musica criolla. Arturo Valdez, the upright bassist, will discuss his inspiration that draws from the lineage of the jazz greats like Reggie Workman and Ben Street, and how that impacts his approach to playing Peruvian music. And finally, Sebastian Roman will explore how his duality of being raised in the US and returning to Peru as an adult has shaped his approach to the Peruvian saxophone, an instrument relatively underscored in Peruvian music but making a strong impact on its newly imagined sound.