I'm DJing a World Music party. What should I play from South America?

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When it comes to Venezuela, I don't know much beyond Venezuelan salsa, though there are definite Afro-Venezuelan folkloric traditions you could track down on CD if you wanted to. Oscar D'Leon is the most famous figure in Venezuelan salsa (as you will already know if you know anything about Venezuelan salsa), and if you don't mind something current, you could to try the new Tego Calderon remake of the famous "Lloraras." Again, if there is interest, I can recommend specific D'Leon tracks. His collection Exitos Eternos covers a number of good ones.

Peru? Melcochita (more salsa, sorry).

I've heard something by Argentina's Peteco Carabajal that I find intriguing, but I don't know much about him at all. I'm not a big fan of Gaby Kerpel, but something by him might work. There's also tango, obviously. Not my thing, and not something most people are going to try to dance to without knowing what they are doing. (It's definitely considered a difficult dance to learn.)

You could also check out the cumbia thread for cumbia from beyond Colombia. I've heard some interesting stuff from Argentina, though it was more street than roots.

(And I'm not mentioning Brazil, since others have plenty to say about it and I know less about it than lots of people here.)

Then again, some Susana Baca would be nice also :)

Most of that is not S. American. (Not sure any is at a glance, will have to double check.)

Brazil: Daniela Mercury (anything off of Carnaval Eletronico), Curumin, Cibelle's first album, Apollo Nove, Andrea Marquee, Nacao Zumbi, and the great Carlinhos Brown, even when he's in his hip-hop mode as Carlito Marrón. And also forró stuff, if you have Brazilian people there they will go YAY if you play "Chiclete com Banana" even if it's the Gilberto Gil version. Also "Cravo e Canela" by Milton Nascimento or "Expresso 2222" by Gilberto Gil or yes virtually anything by Jorge Ben (Pais Tropical, Cade o Penalty?) or anything on the Samba Soul 70 comp or anything by Trio Mocotó. Hooray for most suggestions above but probably NOT bossa nova if you want the crowd to dance, bossa only makes people make sweet love.

Argentina: lots of metallic ska like Bersuit Vergabarat, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs ("Matador" will KILL ANY DANCE PARTY EVER BUT IN A GOOD WAY), stuff like that

Colombia: early Aterciopelados jamz, later stuff too smoooooooooth for boogieosity.

Ah, okay.

That's not in South America?

World music orgy!

I second the recommendations on Hermeto Pascoal and Milton Nascimento, though a lot of Milton's stuff isn't exactly danceable. But "Cravo e Canela" is great! I'd recommend the semi-English version on Milton rather than the original on Clube de Esquina though, in my opinion it's funkier and better.

Nascimento's Para Lennon & McCartney. The Quem e Quem LP by Joao Donato has some great tracks on besides Cala Boca Minino.

There is just so much Brazillian stuff out there thats worth spinning