Music has always played a central role in culture; it existed and connected people even before the development of language. The Marinera is a blend of Spanish, Moorish, Andean, and Gypsy rhythmic influences that has become a prominent traditional Peruvian dance and an authentic result of the “mestizaje” brought over by the Spanish Conquest.

This project values and maintains the cultural tradition of the Marinera while asking bigger questions about how culture forms and evolves, being shaped by time, emigration, and place. A visual code inspired by the musical base pattern of the Peruvian cajón is printed on postal stamps and holds the project together. The stamps can literally send the Marinera tradition around the world, creating a cultural flow. The complete design package also includes map-infused collages, a vinyl disc, and a booklet with its cultural tracing. The visual code also unlocks an interactive and informational website.

This project predominately uses red for the Peruvian flag, as well as graphic juxtapositions and transparencies that explore the blending of cultures and people — concluding that the lives of people all over the world are much more intertwined than we might initially think.