Roots Thrive in Transplant Between Americas

Flying Virgin Marys. Devils riding horses at midnight. Stupefyingly enormous snakes.

Guitarist Ciro Hurtado recalls any number of legends from his days growing up in the jungles of Peru, and he just might recount some favorites at a pair of concerts Saturday at the San Juan Capistrano Regional Library.

According to Hurtado, he’s had firsthand experience with at least one of those legends. His tale takes place on the Rio Mayo, a river that crosses his hometown of Moyobamba.

“The Rio Mayo has a guardian snake, a huge snake that legend says is two blocks in length,” said Hurtado, who now lives in Los Angeles. “The head is as big as a cow’s head, and it has ears.”

“My grandfather has seen the snake, and I experienced its anger once when I was crossing the river in a canoe,” he said. “The canoe almost capsized because the snake was making huge waves--and there are no waves in that river.”

The Peruvian Nessie?

“Similar to the Loch Ness monster,” Hurtado said. “I was about to drown, but we didn’t see anything. It was the snake . . . unless it was a huge whale.” He recently returned from a trip to Peru with lots more stories to tell.

Hurtado, 40, grew up surrounded by traditional Peruvian music; his parents and relatives played the traditional instruments. But he also heard a good deal of American and European rock ‘n’ roll, such as the Rolling Stones.

Making music remains a family affair for Hurtado, only now it’s a new generation.

At the library, his wife, Cindy Harding, will be featured on vocals, flute, panpipes and percussion. His sister-in-law, Libby, from Oklahoma, will play panpipes and cuatro Venezuelan, similar to a ukulele, and sing; Libby’s husband, Gary Johnson, will cover keyboards. Hurtado’s daughter, 4-year-old Amanda, has been known to dance onstage.

Filling out the group are percussionist Ricardo Pasillas of Oakland, drummer Paul Thounga of Cameroon and bassist Guillermo Guzman of Colombia.

As might be expected, Hurtado’s arrival in the United States 20 years ago provided a major turning point in his musical career--but in an unexpected way. Exposure to the new culture sent him straight back to his roots.

“In Peru I had been pretty much involved in blues and rock,” Hurtado recalled. “I didn’t touch traditional music. When I arrived here, I realized that I couldn’t be a rock or blues player. A blues player--that’s a whole style of living, a whole experience I didn’t have. Maybe [I was] not sad enough.

“I decided to bring in my Latin American roots and all the music I knew already growing up and mix it with American rock and jazz. Now I have the melancholy melodies from the Andes, with Latin, Afro and Cuban rhythms and drive. When I solo, there are influences of blues and rock.”

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Hurtado is musical director of the contemporary Latin American group Huayucaltia and has produced several albums with them. He has made two albums on his own, “In My Mind” and “Tales From Home,” and produced his latest effort, “Guitarra,” on his own Inti Productions label. “Guitarra” features original and traditional solo music.

“Strictly one guitar,” Hurtado said, adding that he will include solo numbers in his programs here. “I started as a solo guitarist. I enjoy very much composing for the beautiful sound of guitar alone. It’s a little orchestra.”

* Latin guitarist and composer Ciro Hurtado performs Saturday in the courtyard of the San Juan Capistrano Regional Library, 31495 El Camino Real. 7 and 9 p.m. $3-$5. (714) 248-7469.