Merengue – A Vivid Kaleidoscope
Latin Dance has evolved into a vivid kaleidoscope of many different cultures dancing to the beat of a single drum. These types of music which find their origin in African influence have developed into a meshwork of individual sounds and have grown to be identified with a particular culture. An example of such can be seen in the evolution and history of one of these, Merengue. This type of dance is native to the Carribean, however, it has developed and taken its precedence in the Dominican Republic. This Carribean nation has been crucial to the spread of this music on an international level.
Even though the Dominican Republic has been considered the original country of origin for Merengue history shows otherwise. In Puerto Rico, visiting Cuban marching bands introduced this new way of music in 1842 known as Upa. This new type of music had African influence and introduced a completely new way of dancing. It was considered forbidden and was completely eliminated from the island. Colombia and Venezuela also had similar sounds and music that were danced around the coastal cities thus showing this music has various external derivatives. This new type of dancing which appeared to have a fusion between African and European roots and a result of colonization, and its custom of moving and swaying ones hips and the placement of hands in its distinctive manner.
The Domincan Republic has with...
Morales, Ed. The Latin Beat: The Rhythms and Roots of Latin Music from Bossa Nova to Salsa and Beyond. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Da Capo, 2003. Print.
People do not take into account the impact that colonialism had on Mexico and Mexico’s culture of dance and music. The merging of Indigenous tradition and European culture left a strange mark in Mexico, where both those diverse cultures were combined into its own Mexican identity. There is no bigger example of this than the traditional Mexican dance, of the state of Michoacán el danze de los viejetos or in English the dance of the old men. What the dance used to represent pre and post the conquering by Spain is radically different, since Mexico itself changed through colonization. The dance of the old men is still being danced now but the original meaning and what it represents now has changed,
To better understand why samba represents the Brazilian’s national identity, one has to understand the history of Brazil and samba. Samba can be heard all throughout Brazil. It is a musical genre complemented by song and dance that includes a group of percussion instruments and guitar. The puxador (lead singer) starts the samba, occasionally singing the same song for hours at a time. The obligation of maintaining thousands of voices in time with the drum rests on his shoulders. Bit by bit, the other members of the escola (samba group) come in, and with a whistle from the mestre de bateria (percussion conductor) - the most exciting moment of the parade occurs as the percussion section crashes in. The surdos (bass drums) keep the 2 / 4 meter, while caixas (snare drums) and tamborins accent the second beat. This percussion ensemble, speak of as the 'bateria', frequently includes instruments such as the agogo (double bell) and reco-reco (scraper), as well as the prato, repique, pandeiro, tamborim, and ganzathe. The only stringed instrument is the great pitched cavaquinho (ukulele). Together these instruments combine to create polyrhythms that cross and align, contrast and reinforce with each other in an animated style less formal than marcha or maxixe. Couples often dance to samba in physically tight, close movements similar to the lambada and l...
I am planning on going to University of Southern Indiana (USI) to be a dental hygienist. In college i will take any programs they offer me that deal with dentistry. I am planning on going to college for a full eight years to get my doctorate’s degree. Just in case in the future, I decide to change my career I would like to have that degree. I will take science and medical classes to expand my realm of knowledge in equipment and procedures I will perform. College will definitely be difficult, but I feel like if I try my best and put 110% into all my work I will
Last is the danzon, with more Spanish origin that African. It consists of an orquesta made up of cornets, saxophones, clarinets and percussion. The horns make the danzon easily distinguishable from the rumba and son. In the middle of the danzon there is a percussion break, in which everyone begins to dance. It is a more respectable, less provocative dance with a much slower tempo. It was danced by the more upper class Cubans as opposed to the son and rumba, which were working-class dances.
Puerto Rican music was the ultimate expression of the “Areito” (indigenous artistic traditions) combined in a unitary fashion, oral narrative, dance and music. By the end of the fifteenth century, the Taino Indians had already developed musical instruments used in their ceremonies, religious rituals and daily life. Some of the instruments used during the “Areito” was the “Güiro” and “Maracas” which are still in use as part of the musical traditions. It is unclear whether the Puerto Rican folk music contains elements of
Last Sunday I went to jazz bar in Manhattan and I listened “Latin Jazz?E Latin jazz is “a fusion of African and indigenous rhythms from the entire Latin American Diaspora with the language of jazz?E It was first known as coop, but you are now familiar with it as afro-Cuban. When talking about afro-Cuban jazz, it is difficult to not mention certain turning points in history that made this music possible. The roots of much, of the music might be traced back to African Cuban slaves. In Cuba itself, music and dance are so essential to national character that you can not disentangle them from the country’s history. “The story of Latin jazz music is thus one of religions and revolutions, power and liberation, the collision of civilization?E In the United States we can never completely understand our own music, without referencing it to Cuban music. There are various characteristics that can define Latin jazz ranging from the savant grade to more popular forms. Some forms of popular music that most people are familiar with would have to be the mambo, salsa, cha-cha, and afro-Cuban jazz. These types of music were originated from north America, but to elaborate further, Latin immigrants can to new York and brought with them distinctive rhythms that blended together. Theses types of music and other music are contagious and an evolutionary process. No one person can take the credit for Latin jazz of any form of music that comes into the united s...
The Folklorico group presentation I was honored to observed was the “Grupo Folklorico Juventud” from North Salinas High School. I decided to attend to this presentation because I use to be part of this Folklorico group. I also enjoy watching the dances for the reason that I believe they are beyond beautiful. It is amazing how a simple dance could transmit so much information while representing a region from Mexico. From my observation experienced, I noticed every region has different movements and customs for a reason. While observing the presentation I noticed most women used long skirts to create different shapes. They usually create the eight shape, half a circle or an entire circle which is created when the dancer does an entire spin while holding and moving their skirt. The skirt is also moved in different levels, such as high, medium, and low. The two levels that are used in most of the dances is the high and the medium level. While dancing the men and women usually do the same steps and movements. All the dances include “zapateados” which are known as foot dances or stomps. The “zapateados” are usually done with different parts of the feet such as the toe, heel and the sole of the feet. The dances include “zapateados” with different sections of the feet because every part creates a different sound. Most of the dances also include jumps and turns. It is extremely important for the
The Latin Americans never wanted to be left in this music development. The Latin Americans had their own music, Jazz (Gordon, 2005). They wanted to influence in the development of the music. Soon, Salsa was born out if mixture from the Jazz music and Mambo. Salsa took the bodily movements and the Cuban beats as a contribution from the Caribbean culture. The Latin America contributed the wording of Salsa music. Diversity necessitated the growth of Salsa as Mambo had been viewed with suspicion as it was linked to ghetto status hence it was
This paper will be discussing the origin, roots history and evolution of Salsa music. The paper will also discuss some of the most successful Salsa musicians including Celia Cruz, Edi Palmeiri, Willie Colon and the Fania band or Fania All Star.
Bachata originated from the Dominican Republic in the early 20th century. During dictator Trujillo’s rule, Merengue was the official music to the nation. Because many Dominicans did not accept their African roots, their dances and rhythms were oppressed. Bachata, with its African influences, was considered crude and lower class, only played by campesinos- peasants. It was only popular in the rural parts of the Dominican Republic. However beginning in the early 60s, bachata was steady becoming tolerated, and eventually loved. (Pacini)
Neumann, Eckhard. Bauhaus and Bauhaus People; Personal Opinions and Recollections of Former Bauhaus Members and Their Contemporaries. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1970. Print.
...atin American popular idioms. Sonia Possetti is a leading contemporary tango artist that has formed a sextet including the unusual addition of a trombone. POssetti is receptive to the possibility of assimilating outside influences, as she is fully aware of the political implications of creating and performing tango in a country controlled by globalized economic and cultural interests. She uses the standard percussion with djembe, cymbals, bongo, and wood block. Possetti’s “Bullanguera” is based on a milonga rhythm that first sounded in the djembe, a large African hand drum. She layers a salsa clave pattern in the percussion over the milonga foundation. Jazz techniques, improvised solos and sixteen bar progressions add new dimensions to the piece. Her conception remains true to the roots of the tango, yet engages with a sophisticated range of current popular musics.
I have always wondered about the history of Latin American dance. In this informational report, I am going to share with you the origins of the Latin American culture of dance.
For as long as humankind exists, theatre will always take on an important function within its cultures. Through theatre, a culture expresses itself, reflects its society, and displays its individuality. It invites people to experience other cultures.