Last night at Nuyorican Poets Cafe, the Gabriel Alegria Afro-Peruvian Sextet outdid itself with a septet of special features:

(1) The rare presence in New York of the band’s original drummer, Hugo Alcázar, as evidenced in this photo, a sharp, witty, assertive artist in every way; (2) a guest appearance by the notable jazz pianist Arturo O’Farrill, invigorating in its liveliness; (3) a song dedicated to the late Afro-peruvian guitarist Maestro Carlos Hayre; (4) a multi-media deconstruction of the streets of Lima by Meg Schedel; (5) the dynamic new songs that will appear on the album City of Kings, which commences recording next week in sessions to which tickets may be obtained; (6) the band’s first New York concert since the Tutuma Social Club closed its physical space in June, proving that Tutuma lives on as a cultural force; and, last but certainly not least, (7) homemade marcianos (martians), a frozen Peruvian street treat in tubular form, available in two flavors, lucuma or chicha morada, a welcome counter-invasion on this long hot summer of the Mars landing.

For more on the Gabriel Alegría AFroPervuvian Sextet, click here.