“La Gaita”
Lara Brothers
Trinidad and Tobago
Voice, Cuatro, Guitar, Mandolin, Box bass, Maracas,
Guiro, tambourine, Claves, Flute
PARANG
Parang is a popular folk music originating from
Trinidad and Tobago. It was introduced to Trinidad by Venezuelan migrants who
were primarily of Amerindian, Spanish, and African heritage. The word is
derived from two Spanish words: one is parranda which means a spree or fete and
parar which means to stop. Parang is traditionally used to visit homes during
the Christmas season and perform religious folk songs. The music traditionally
uses a three chord structure, Spanish lyrics, Latin rhythm and even a touch of
calypso. Dancing is also associated with the listening of this music as it
utilizes mostly 3/4 and 6/8 time signatures which develop a slow, moderate and
even a quick waltz tempo. Improvisation also plays a role in the music
especially since it is not normally notated and just created for local village
or community serenading and dancing. Over time parang has been performed outside the
Christmas season causing it to include not only religious music but secular
music as well. Like many other traditional and cultural music the instrumentation
has been modified. For example, the box bass at times is replaced by the
electric bass or even the double upright bass and keyboards, synthesizers and
other instruments like the flute and the steelpan have been added.
Hi Eltino,
ReplyDeleteI think that this selection is interesting. you mentioned that dancing is usually associated with this music because of the 3/4 and 6/8 times. Because of the claves, I get a sense of 2/4 or 4/4. I am also curious about the intonation. Is it customary for a group to sing with relative pitch instead of focusing on hitting the right pitch? I really enjoyed this video. My step-father is from Mexico and it reminds me of community events that we used to visit growing up. There would be a stage with multiple groups performing like this and people would be dancing. Thanks for sharing.
Chad Hodges
Eltino,
ReplyDeleteWhat is most engaging about this performance to me is how it captures the spirit of the people in that moment. Everyone seems to be so carefree. This is even reflected in the dance movements. I do have similar questions to Chad about the pitch. As a vocalist, this is the first aspect of the performance that was of interest to me. It seemed to me however, that even the way in which they were singing was a reflection of the carefree nature of the piece. As it relates to the reading, the context of this piece definitely has interaction between the performers and the audience as well as intra-interaction (interaction between the performers). Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for responding you guys. To help clarify a few things the homemade box bass gives the feeling of the 3/4 or 6/8 respectively. Because of the box bass the keys are at times limited and may cause the vocalists to sing with relative pitch. Also keep in mind these performers are taking part in a Trinidad tradition of a Parang lime that involves being compensated with local drinks as payment for entertainment.
ReplyDeleteWell written post. Good background information.
ReplyDelete