On January 26, 2012, a fire swept through a historical area of Valparaíso, damaging ten commercial locales and injuring several people.

One of those affected was the Escuela de Samba Valparaíso, a school dedicated to the art of percussion. More than 60 large drums, various musical instruments and costumes, totaling around $6 million Chilean Pesos ($12,000 USD), were lost. It is as the school’s director Ronny Mancilla says, a real tragedy. Continue reading The Beat Goes On… →