Susana Baca

Birthplace

Lima, Peru

Biography

Susana Esther Baca de la Colina (born 24 May 1944 in Chorrillos, Lima Province, Peru) is a prominent Peruvian singer-songwriter, school teacher, folklorist, ethnomusicologist and three-time Latin Grammy Award winner. She has been a key figure in the revival of Afro-Peruvian music. In July 2011, she was named Peru's Minister of Culture in the Ollanta Humala government, becoming the second Afro-Peruvian cabinet minister in the history of independent Peru. In November 2011, she was elected to the Organization of American States (OAS) as the President of the Commission of Culture for the period 2011–13.