Vallenato

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Vallenato, along with cumbia, is the most popular folk music of Colombia. It primarily comes from the Colombia's Caribbean region. Vallenato literally means "born in the valley". The valley influencing this name is located between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Serranía de Perijá in northeast Colombia. The name also applies to the people from the city this genre originated: Valledupar (from the place named Valle de Upar - "Valley of Upar"). In 2006 Vallenato and cumbia were added as a category in the Latin Grammy Awards.

[edit] Origins

This form of music originated from farmers that, keeping a tradition of Spanish minstrels (Juglares in Spanish), mixed also with the West African-inherited tradition of griots (African version of juglar), who used to travel through the region with their cattle in search of pastures, or to sell them in cattle fairs. Because they traveled from town to town and the region lacked rapid communications, these farmers served as bearers of news for families living in other towns or villages. Their only form of entertainment during these trips was singing and playing guitars or gaita flute, and their form of transmitting their news was by singing their messages. The first form of vallenato was played with gaita flutes, guacharaca and caja, and later adopted other instruments like guitars. These troubadors were later influenced by Europe's instruments; piano and accordion. Shocked with the sound from the accordion, troubadors probably obtained later on accordions from Aruba and Curacao. Vallenato was considered music of the lower class and farmers, but gradually started penetrating through every social group during the mid-20th century. Don Clemente Quintero—a prominent member from the region's elite—was a lover of this music, usually accompanied by liquor, was a form of entertainment for this almost isolated region. He then decided to start a parranda (party) inside the very strict Valledupar Social Club with friends, this triggered an acceptance for the music and it became a regular musical feature at parties, carnivals and reunions, not for dancing, but for listening to these juglares stories. When Alfonso Lopez Michelsen became president of Colombia, he showed interest in the region because his ancestors were from the region. After his presidency, he pushed for the creation of the Cesar Department and became its first governor. During his time as governor, he pushed for the creation of a festival for the city. Accompanied by writer and reporter Consuelo Araujo Noguera and vallenato composer, Rafael Escalona, they created the Vallenato Legend Festival. During one of the early versions of this festival, Daniel Samper, a prominent cachaco from Bogotá, started dancing Vallenato with his wife. First it was not accepted by Vallenato followers, but it later became a tradition that spread to parties, concerts nightclubs.

[edit] Instruments

Vallenato traditional instruments.

Its three traditional instruments are:

• the caja: a small drum held between the knees and played with bare hands. It was used by the African slaves brought by the Europeans. Similar to a tambora drum.
• the guacharaca: a wooden, ribbed stick similar to a sugar cane, accompanied by a fork that when rubbed together emits a scraping sound. It's about 18 inches (45 cm) long and one inch (3 cm) in diameter. It was used by the Indians to imitate the guacharaco's singing; a bird from this region to hunt and perform dancing rituals.
• the accordion: three-line button, German-origin accordion.

[edit] The Four Rhythms

Vallenato consists of four beats or "airs" that are differentiated through their rhythmic structure and the melody chord structure the accordionist gives it. These are: son, paseo, merengue and puya. The son and the paseo have a 2/4 time and the merengue and the puya a 6/8 time.

• Son: is played with heavy accentuation and cadence stressed on the low notes of the accordion on its left hand side. It's normally mournful and slow.

• Paseo: is thought to be an off-shoot of the son. Its speed can vary and today is the most widely recorded air.

• Puya: its main difference from the merengue is the length of its lyrics. In the last 40 years, accordion players have begun to play it faster and each of the three instruments used in vallenato has a solo. It is considered the oldest of the four "airs", with roots in an ancient Indian dance of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

• Merengue: is often confused with a Dominican genre with the same name, probably brought by related African tribal groups. It has a more narrative style and was often used to play décimas, a ten-line format with internal rhymes brought by the Spanish in the 16th century.

[edit] Piqueria

Piqueria is a battle among singers similar to the essence of Rap music, usually accompanied by the rhythm of instruments.

[edit] Vallenato Festivals

The Vallenato Legend Festival: Every year by the end of April, in the city of Valledupar, the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata (Vallenato Legend Festival) is celebrated. During the festival a contest takes place in which the best vallenato interpreters fight for the title of Rey Vallenato (Vallenato accordion King), "verseadores", new song composers, "guacharaqueros" and "cajeros" are also awarded within three categories; professional, aficionado and infant. The festival also includes record industry's orchestras shows.

Accordions' Craddle Festival: (Festial cuna de acordeones) This festival is celebrated every year since 1979, in Valledupar's neighboring town of Villanueva, in La Guajira. The Festival is similar to the Vallenato Leyend Festival format, but also includes a category for the elderly accordion players over sixty years old.

Other Vallenato festivals:

• Nationally: Vallenato Festival in Bogotá;

• Internationally: Festival Voz de Acordeones in Monterrey, Mexico.

[edit] Vallenato composers, singers and juglares

Thanks to the Vallenato Leyend Festival this musical genre became known through the region including regions of Venezuela, and when a popular TV Soap Opera, "Escalona", based on the life of Vallenato composer, Rafael Escalona was aired on national television (Carlos Vives characterized Escalona in this soap opera), Vallenato became widely known in Colombia and internationally. Some renowned traditional vallenato composers are Alejo Duran, Enrique Díaz, Emiliano Zuleta and Rafael Escalona. Other well-known Colombian musicians who sing vallenatos are Diomedes Díaz, Jorge Oñate, Ivan Villazon, Nicolas "colacho" Mendoza (accordion player and composer), Juan Humberto "Juancho" Rois (accordion player and composer), Omar Geles (accordion player and composer), Israel Romero and Lisandro Meza among others.

The current ambassador of the genre is multiple-time Grammy Award-winner Carlos Vives, who has progressively helped vallenato gain popularity worldwide by combining traditional vallenato music with pop/rock music, subgenre that has come to be known as "vallenato-pop".

[edit] Vallenato musical orchestras and groups

The traditional vallenato developed into a more orchestra type of musical group. Through out the years, some groups started adding instruments and a group chorus to support the main singer, popularly and sarcasticly known as "ay omberos". With these changes. Some of the instruments added or used by some orchestras were: the bass guitar, the congas drums, a Timbal set, drum kit, maracas, guache, electric piano, spanish guitars, tambourine, cowbell, electric guitar, Saxophone, piano accordion, violins, among others. These groups also started fusioning local genres to the vallenato, usually with cumbia, porro sabanero, gaitas (group of gaita flute interpreters), merecumbe and joropo. Some groups seeking a wider audience started mixing vallenato with other international genres, like salsa, merengue, rock, classical music, reggae, reggaeton, ranchera, techno music, house music. Some of these mixes didn't become very popular because of its awkward sound.

[edit] La Nueva Ola (The New Wave)

Is considered the new generation of Vallenato groups and orchestras that have created a distinctive sound for themselves while keeping some of the essence of their predecessors. Kaleth Morales is considered leading artist of this young wave of vallenato musical groups, even after his sudden death in a car accident in August 24, 2005.

[edit] Some renowned vallenato orchestras

US President Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea during a visit to Cartagena, Colombia, where they were greeted by a Vallenato children group.

• Bovea y sus Vallenatos
• Diomedes Diaz musical group
• Los Hermanos Zuleta musical Group
• Ivan Villazon musical group
• Jorge Onate musical group
• Alfredo Gutierrez musical group
• Binomio de Oro de America musical group
• Los Diablitos del Vallenato musical group
• Carlos Vives y la provincia musical group
• Silvestre Dangond & Juancho De la Espriella musical group
• Peter Manjarrez musical group
• Jorge Celedon & Jimmy Zambrano musical group
• Embajadores del Vallenato musical group
• Los Chiches Musical group
• Las Diosas del vallenato female musical group

[edit] See also

• Music of Colombia
• Vallenato Legend Festival

[edit] References

• (Spanish)musica vallenata
• (Spanish)musica vallenata
• (Spanish)Vallenato
• (Spanish)Valledupar.com; el Vallenato

[edit] External links

• (Spanish)Vallenato Legend Festival website