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Festejo is a lively Afro-Peruvian music and dance style from Peru’s central coastal region. It is characterized by an upbeat 12/8 (or fast 6/8) feel, driving handclaps (palmas), and polyrhythmic percussion led by the cajón, often joined by the quijada de burro (donkey jawbone) and the cajita. Call-and-response vocals and celebratory lyrics emphasize joy, community, humor, and Afro-Peruvian identity. Melodically and harmonically, festejo songs tend to use straightforward diatonic progressions and memorable choruses designed for audience participation. Dance is inseparable from the music: intricate footwork and body movement mirror the syncopated groove, making festejo a hallmark of Afro-Peruvian festive culture.

Vals criollo (Peruvian waltz) is the coastal Peruvian reinterpretation of the European waltz, played in 3/4 time but with distinctive Afro-Peruvian and Creole (criollo) phrasing, syncopation, and guitar-centric accompaniment. It is typically performed by voice and one or more nylon-string guitars, often supported by cajón, palmas (handclaps), and second voices, creating a warm, intimate salon or peña atmosphere. Melodies are lyrical and ornamented, harmonies draw on classical waltz cadences enriched with secondary dominants and chromatic passing chords, and lyrics dwell on love, nostalgia, neighborhood life in Lima, and the pride and melancholy of the criollo identity. Celebrated annually on Peru’s Día de la Canción Criolla (Oct 31), the genre is a central pillar of música criolla and one of Peru’s most emblematic urban song forms.