©
David Debrincat
Peru Travel Guide
©
David Debrincat
One thing is certain: Peru's famous figures do not enjoy international fame. Though some of them are well known and recognisable within the country itself – indeed very famous even – as a tourist you'll find it very difficult to cite the name of more than just a single world-famous Peruvian. In fact, perhaps the only celebrity you'll encounter during your trip to Peru will be actually be Machu Picchu.
When it comes to the category of famous people who long ago passed away, we need to begin by going back as far as the 15th century, the age of the Incas. The earliest man about whom a lot is known was Pachacutec Inca Yupanqui, who was responsible for developing the city of Cusco.
His son, Túpac Yupanqui, later practised a policy of expansion, which led to him becoming the most powerful of all the Inca Emperors. Amongst those who reigned after him was Huayna Capac. Additionally, the names Huáscar and Atahualpa, who were involved in a war against Francisco Pizarro, still reverberate around Cusco's Plaza de Armas till this day. In fact it was the death of the latter that marked the decline of the Inca empire.
Turning our attention to more contemporary celebrities, Martin Chambi was a famous Peruvian photographer who died in 1973. The portraits he took were all included in a celebrated book titled Martin Chambi Photographs, 1920-1950.
Yma Súmac, a descendent of the Inca emperor Atahualpa, was a soprano who achieved international fame. You do probably need to be a fan of opera to have heard of her however. As well as the success she enjoyed in the United States, she also spent some time performing in France during the 1990s. She passed away in 2008.
The most famous Peruvian in the world is without a doubt the writer Mario Vargas Llosa. Born in 1936 in the city of Arequipa, Llosa is the author of works such as The Time of the Hero, The Green House, Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, Captain Pantoja and the Special Service, The Feast of the Goat, Death in the Andes, The Notebooks of Don Rigoberto, The Way to Paradise and The Dream of the Celt. He gained global recognition for his writings and his life's work when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2010.
Where famous singers are concerned, Susana Baca is a well-known name. Her work is quite strongly influenced by traditional Peruvian music. Tani Libertad, who has recorded around thirty albums, is another well-known Peruvian singer. She has experimented with a number of different musical styles ranging from rock to waltz and has recorded throughout the world.
Peru's political scene does not receive much attention beyond the country's borders. During you trip to Peru, you will perhaps hear mention of the current president, Olienta Humala, his opponent, Alberto Fujimori (currently in prison), and the latter's daughter, Keiko Fujimori.
