03:31 | Lima, May 06 (ANDINA).
A contingent of Peruvian celebrities -including chefs, athletes and performers- converged last month on Peru, Nebraska, to take the South American country's culture to another part of the world that shares the name but not the same landscape or customs.
Acclaimed chefs Gaston Acurio, Christian Bravo, Ivan Kisic and Javier Wong; performers Magaly Solier, Carlos Alcantara, Gonzalo Torres and Dina Paucar; as well as world champion surfers Sofia Mulanovich and Gabriel Villaran arrived in this small town of 569 people on a red and white bus bearing Peru's new country-brand logo.
Drawn by the common name, the mission of the visitors from the culturally and geographically diverse nation was to shoot a 15-minute commercial that encourages national pride and shows how the Peruvian culture influences people around the world.
At the beginning of the commercial, the new ambassadors of Peru invite locals of all ages to enjoy our delectable dishes such as ceviche, papa a la huancaina, ocopa, anticucho and papa rellena as well as the country's traditional drink called chicha morada and the famous "bubble-gum-flavored" Inca Kola.
Other scenes show a flamboyantly dressed Dina Paucar traipsing into the local post office with a live llama, surfers Sofia Mulanovich and Gabriel Villaran trying to catch a wave in the Peru State College's paved parking lot, the sheriff trading his doughnuts for picarones with comedian Carlos Alcantara, Afro-Peruvian music and dance ensemble Peru Negro teaching cajón drumming, and a man climbing the water tower to paint an accent mark over the “u” in “Peru.” Scenes were also shot in New York City and Omaha.
Peruvian tourism officials chose Peru, Neb., after considering other U.S. communities named Peru, such as those in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Wisconsin, New York, Vermont, West Virginia and Massachusetts. The commercial was aired in Peru on Thursday afternoon and is also available online.
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Published: 5/6/2011