Rio de la Plata-MSC104

Gauchos

Gauchos

-cowboy from the Rio de la Plata region

Vidalita

-from Santiago del Estero, Tucumán

-the most important musical forms for Carnival

-can be sung with or without doubling

-parallel thirds and in duple or triple meter

-lyrics “talk” to the Vidalita

-accompanied by a guitar and caja

-cadence in the minor mode

Dances

-Zamba, malambo, gato, chacarera

-use guitar, bombo, possibly accordion

-some are also song forms

-also instrumental pieces, part of the solo guitar repertoire

-e.g. Zamba: Alfonsina y el Mar by Ariel Ramirez

Caja

Bombo

Milonga

-appeared in the colonial period

-end of 19th century there were different types of milongas:

-urban milonga associated with tango accompanies a couples dance

-one purely instrumental played on the guitar

-another sung either improvised by payadores, or composed poetry sung by one singer

-instrumental milongas are played exclusively by men with technical abilities above a basic harmonic structure

-instrumental milongas have become part of the classical guitar repertoire and can be quite complex

-the current milonga song form is generally sung in decima style

-common themes: political, historical, provocative, patriotic and social commentary

Payadores

-dueling singers

-improvised decimas

-creole milonga accompaniment

Mercedes Sosa (1935-2009)

-roots in Argentine folk music

-one of the preeminent exponents of La nueva canción

-she gave voice to songs written by many Latin American songwriters

-her music made people hail her as the “voice of the voiceless ones”

Atahualpa Yupanqui (1908-1992)

-singer, songwriter, guitarist, and writer

-the most important Argentine folk musician of the 20th century

Eduardo Falu (1923-2013)

-guitarist and composer

-arguably the creator of Argentina’s modern folk song movements

-set over 150 poems to music

Alfredo Zitarrosa (1936-1989)

-commanding voice, accompanied by a guitar quartet

-poetic lyrics that depicted social injustices

-exiled from Uruguay during the dictatorship between 1976 and 1984

Candombe

-originated in Uruguay among the descendants of liberated African slaves

-declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO

-based on three different drums: chico, repique, and piano

-usually played in February during carnival at dance parades called llamadas

-features 3+2 clave pattern and subtle variations in rhythm

Candombe drums

Tango

-declared tango as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009 in response to a joint petition filed by Argentina and Uruguay

-musical genre that includes dance, music, poetry, and singing and is one of the main manifestations of identity for the inhabitants of the Rio de la Plata region

-created by the disenfranchised poor who lived in the outskirts of Buenos Aires, many theories about its origin which is often intentionally obscured

-influences from African candombe, Europe, milonga, Cuban Habanera, and touring Zarzuela theatre companies

-early tangos in 2, later tangos in 4

-marked beats but no percussion

-bandoneon, strings, piano, guitar ensemble (Gardel)

-free lyrical singing

-recurrent topics

-phrases in 4- and 8- bar groups

-contrasting happy/sad verse and chorus sections

-different rhythmical accompaniments based on subgenre (habanera, sincopa)

Bandoneon

Carlos Gardel (1890-1935)

-famous tango singer, greatest exponent of the tango singer figure

-famous tangos: Caminito, Volver, A Media Luz, etc.

Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)

-promoter of the modern orientation of Tango, Nuevo Tango

-generated music with instrumental roots

-provoked both admiration and controversy

-studied with Alberto Ginastera and Nadia Boulanger (Paris)

-elements from jazz and classical music

-use of contrasting sections

-famous compositions: Adios Nonino, Tango Ballet, etc.

-influenced tango today as well as jazz and classical composers after the 80s

Rock Nacional

-a response to multiple shifts in government and military takeovers targeting youth in the 70s

-reflects rootless youth, parallels to Christ, long instrumental sections (Seru Giran)

-simple folk style guitar, symphonic/progressive rock, hymns across different generations, many songs with political implications (Sui Generis)

Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983)

-born in Buenos Aired of Spanish and Italian parents

-wrote Danzas Argentinas and the ballet Panambí, in 1937

-founded the League of Composers in 1945

-established important schools and institutions dedicated to the study of music

-wrote in just about every genre

-early style reflects Argentine nationalism with pampas and rural folk music rhythms

-manipulations of orchestral color evoke the life of a gaucho though folk tunes display lyrical simplicity

Arpa Paraguaya

-either a solo or the featured instrument of a conjunto

-produces a bright powerful sound

-36-40 strings, tuned diatonically

-arpa players learn by ear and experimentation

-e.g. Pajaro Campana and La Llegada

-performances can feature glissando and tremolo

-folk music forms are Guaránia, the Galopera and the Polka

-can be performed with Galopera and Polka dances

Agustín Barrios (1885-1944)

-paraguayan classical composer and guitarist

-also known as Agustín Barrios Mangoré or Nitsuga (Agustin backwards)

-one of the greatest performers and most prolific composers for guitar

-one of the first guitarists to record

-in many of his compositions he used folk songs and rhythms from South America

-other pieces are based on European Baroque, classical and romantic styles