Arequipa

A waltz for a poet and a city

Far from Arequipa, in La Paz, the composer Benigno Ballón Farfán began a melody that would become “Melgar”. Back in his home city, poet Percy Gibson wrote the words for its first two verses; Ballón later added a third. The waltz remembers Mariano Melgar, the Arequipa poet executed after fighting for Peruvian independence in 1815.

The lyric addresses the white city, its mountains and the volcano Misti, then recalls the poet’s love for Silvia. Melgar is also associated with the yaraví, a song tradition in which his poems were later sung. Ballón collected and arranged yaravíes as well as writing waltzes, marineras and other music.

Brothers Víctor and José Dávalos recorded “Melgar” among many works connected to their city. The Peruvian Ministry of Culture describes Víctor as the lead voice, accompanied by José’s second voice. Their recording lets the words written in stages be heard together.