Perkutao
Perkutao brings Afro-Peruvian jazz to Blues Alley in a performance led by percussionist, dancer, and educator Percy Chinchilla and percussionist and composer Robin Axel. Founded in 2005, the ensemble combines the rhythms of Afro-Peruvian tradition with Afro-Cuban, Caribbean, and jazz influences, creating a contemporary celebration of African diasporic culture.
Now based in the Washington, D.C. area after relocating from Lima, Peru, Perkutao has performed internationally and at major venues including Peru’s National Theater and Blues Alley. The group’s debut album, *Mis Ancestros* (“My Ancestors”), was produced by percussionist Manongo Mujica as part of the *Perspectivas de la Música Afroperuana* series. Perkutao also joined Los Muñequitos de Matanzas in Cuba for the group’s 70th-anniversary celebration in 2022 and performed at the National Theater of Peru in 2023 for World Folklore Day.
When: Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Showtimes: 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM
Venue: Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20007
Tickets: $30, plus $7 in fees
Food and beverage minimum: $15 per person, not included in the ticket price
Lineup: Perkutao, led by Percy Chinchilla and Robin Axel
Percy Chinchilla: A Lima-born percussionist, dancer, and educator from the La Victoria district’s Callejón del Buque, Chinchilla comes from a distinguished Afro-Peruvian musical lineage that includes Caitro Soto and Ronaldo Campos. He won the Valentina de Oro dance competition at age six and Peru’s National Cajón Championship at 15. A former member of Perú Negro, he has performed worldwide with Perkutao and with artists including Eva Ayllón, Cecilia Barraza, and Afroperú. He is endorsed by A Tempo Percussion.
Robin Axel: Axel is a percussionist and composer with more than 20 years of professional experience performing Afro-Peruvian and jazz music in the United States and Asia. He spent a decade as a core member of Nori Company, a New York-based Korean drumming and dance ensemble, and recently composed for the dance work *Untethered and Unseen: The Mysterious Life of Hilma af Klint*. He studied performance, composition, and ethnomusicology at Wesleyan University and has toured with musical traditions from Peru, Cuba, and Korea.
Background: Perkutao has toured internationally and was recently featured at Blues Alley as part of the club’s Hispanic Heritage Month and Peruvian Jazz Series programming.
Presented by: Co-presented with the Embassy of Peru
Doors: Doors open at 6:00 PM for the 7:00 PM performance and at 8:45 PM for the 9:30 PM performance.
Seating: Seating is first come, first served at the door.
Policies: Tickets are final sale, nonrefundable, and nontransferable. Photography and recording are prohibited during the performance, and guests are asked to keep conversation to a minimum.
Ages: Not specified.
Run time: Not specified.
Accessibility: Accessibility information is not specified.