ARGENTINE FOLK MUSIC

Traditional music, folk or typical music, is the music that is transmitted from generation to generation as part of the values and the culture of a people. So it has a clear ethnic character, which makes it difficult to understand internationally. Many of the rhythms of our popular music came to this land at the time of the colony and others came later and little by little were mixed up with our aboriginal music to change its harmony, rhythm and melody. Many of the songs that came to this country were secular and religious songs generally brought from Spain. Our Indian or half-breed adopted these forms and in some cases changed the words or the melody but always kept the name of the rhythm though in some cases giving it a different interpretation.

PAMPA REGION: LA HUELLA

La huella is an Argentina traditional dance from the 1820s that is included in the so called southern music. It was an Argentine dance but it was also popular in Bolivia, Chile and Uruguay. It is a picaresque dance because it has turns and tappings.

The name Huella (footstep) probably comes from the words of the songs but it is also believed that the origin of the word Huella is the final figure of the dance: the man steps back marking the footstep that his partner must follow or that the word means the track left by the carts used in the Pampas.

It was a dance of the Pampa region, Misiones, Chaco, San Luis, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán, Mendoza and Salta provinces during the hard time of the civil wars.

Characteristics

It is a picaresque dance with flirting episodes. The dancers do not touch each other and the couples do not dance in harmony the others, it is an independent dance, except in the case of the quartet. The movements are gentle and harmonious, including the tapping.

La Huella today

La Huella declined in the XX century so it is considered an extinct dance, so it belongs to the historic folklore. Today it is only danced in folklore shows but its music and choreography have had a revival and its melody and verses are heard again as they were in the beginning.

Dancers’ clothes

Choreography

The following is a drawing that shows the movements of the dance.

Please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4dDrQdPWLU

EL CARNAVALITO

El Carnavalito is a traditional dance that was danced in America before the European colonizers arrived. Originally, it was a collective dance. In the XIX century it adopted the figures of the European dance. It is still popular in the north of Argentina (in the provinces of Jujuy, Salta, Catamarca and Tucumán) and in the north of Chile, in parts of Peru and the west of Bolivia where it includes the figures of other dances.

Characteristics

The music of Carnavalito is merry and it is performed with instruments like quena, charango, erquencho, erque, caja chayera, sikus and bombo. Everybody sings the same verses or improvise.The following pictures show some of the typical instruments.

QUENA

CHARANGO

ERQUENCHO (o erkencho)

ERQUE (or erke)

CAJA CHAYERA

SIKU (or sicu)

BOMBO

Choreography

It is a group dance performed by several couples. The dancers move around the musicians or in rows. A man or a woman with a scarf or flag in his/her hand leads the dance. The step is a kind of simple trot or jump. It starts with the left foot. The number and duration of the figures are up to the dancer. Some of the figures are the wheel, double wheel, free row and others. The trot is common. This is a long line consisting of two dancers holding arms.

The following pictures show the movements of the dance and some performers.

Please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh3SeiPbX8M

CHAMAME

Chamamé is a folklore genre of Argentina that belongs to the littoral music (NE of the country). It is popular in the provinces of Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Misiones, east of Formosa, Santa Fe, and Chaco. It is also the music of parts of Bolivia, Paraguay, south of Brazil, Uruguay and south of Chile.

Origin and evolution

Chamamé has its roots in the guaraní Indian dances. In the course of time, to this music were added Jesuit, Spanish and German influences (accordion, South American bandoneón) so we can define chamamé as an Indian rhythm that was polished by different influences. The guaraní orgin can be seen in the “sapucai” and the German influence in the accordion, since every chamamé band has an accordion, a bandoneón or both.

The dance may have a merry rhythm, or it may be sad and allegoric. Although the history of the dance is uncertain, we can go back to the XVII century in the Argentine northeast on the banks of the river Uruguay in the province of Corrientes. That was the area where the guaraní Indians settled. They had a strong influence from the Jesuits who founded the first “reducciones” or institutions for the Indians.

Some of the instruments, like the congoera (a big flute made of bone), tururú and mburé (trumpets made of cane), mbaracá (a kind of guitar made out of a pumpkin with five strings), guatapú (a horn to attract fish), mimby (a flute), etc. were lost and we only have information about them from musicologists. The cordófono (harp) was also lost and it is now used only in Paraguay.

The chamamé is danced under tree branches that protect from the strong sun at the time of the midday nap and from the early morning dew.

Instruments

The typical instruments of a chamamé band are accordion, bandoneón and guitar. There are also other instruments that are used in some recordings.

Guitar: It was popular among the native population since colonial times. Harp: It was another native instrument at the time of the colony. Mandolin: An instrument of Italian

origin. Violin Harmonica Flute Double bass Piano Piano accordion

Dance

The chamamé is a merry and lively dance. The partners have a chance of showing their ability if they want to perform all the steps of the dance, changes of figure and tappings. They must follow carefully the musical performance to adapt their movements to it.

It is a dance of “linked partners” because the man holds the right hand of the woman with his left hand and keeps her at the level of his shoulder or leaning on his waist, while he holds her waist or middle of the back with his right hand. The woman’s left hand is placed on the man’s right shoulder. They both bend their waists to touch the upper part of their bodies and cross their heads until they are cheek to cheek or rest their heads on their partner’s shoulder.

Attire

Please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBJkptk4Lcw

ZAMBA

The origin of the Zamba is a Peruvian dance that gave rise to the Zamacueca. The

Zamba came to Argentina through the province of Mendoza around the year 1825 and

spread to the northwest. It was absorbed by the Zamacueca, although the name

Zamba was kept. It will be slower or faster according to the place where it is

performed and the musician that plays it. Today in most parts of the country it is

known by the name Zamba or Cueca.

Attire

Characteristics

It is a courting dance, of independent partners. It is the most passionate of Argentine dances because of its representation of love through the chasing the man performs with his scarf.

Instruments

The main instruments used to play zamba are guitar, bombo (big drum) and violin or flute.

Choreography

Please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opwRh_JUiHc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqCoMeqVars

PALA PALA

Pala Pala is the name of a dance from the northwest of Argentina (especially the provinces of Tucumán and Santiago del Estero). To perform this dance people wear masks representing indigenous animals and their movements imitate the movements of the animals they symbolize.

It is a totemic dance, probably of Indian origin. Its name means crow in quichua (a language that was spoken in the northwest of Argentina) and it was danced in the provinces of Tucumán, Salta and Santiago del Estero in the late XIX century and early XX century. Many believe it is a variant of the Mariquita, a simple native dance with a pleasant music, that showed the charm of several generations of South Americans during later colonial times and the first years of the Republic. In fact, the stanzas, the structure of the poetry, the movements and the musical versions make it clear that there is total identity between pala pala and mariquita.

The dance is a kind of pantomime in which the crow chases its prey, a sweet pigeon, until it catches it and takes out its entrails represented by one or two red scarves, with the hands or the teeth; or it is the representation of a fight between two crows for the possession of the prey. In one version, as the song mentions the different animals (crow, frog, lizard, etc.) the dancers imitate their movements.

Attire

Characteristics

It is a courting dance of independent partners and lively movements. It is danced with common step or jumping step like the Carnavalito.

Choreography

Please go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utONF_e6ICw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jetUEmwVRhY

Lyrics

Pala pala pulperopala pala pulperopala pala pulperochuña solterochuña soltero.

Ampatu cajoneroampatu cajoneroAmpatu cajoneroutu guitarreroutu guitarrero.

Icacu tacaneroicacu tacaneroicacu tacanerohualu flauterohualu flautero.

Caray puca tucumanoCaray puca tucumanohuiñi salteñohuiñi salteño.