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De la costa del Pacifico: currulao bereju

Pacific Region of Colombia

Currulao
This is one of the most African influenced-styles in all of Colombia, and has its roots among the Afro-Colombian/African-descendant/Black people of the Pacific coast.

In its most basic form, the currulao is played by a group of four musicians.

One musician plays a 6-8 rhythm on a drum known as a "cununo", which superficially resembles the "alegre" drum (used in Cumbia) to the untrained eye, but is narrower and taller. The Currulao rhythm is created by both striking the skin of the drum with the one's hand and tapping the side of the drum with a small stick.

The second musician keeps time on a shaker known in parts of Colombia as a "guasa"(goo-ah-SAH) or "guache"(goo-AH-cheh), which is typically a hollow cylinder made of metal, wooden, or guadua bamboo, filled with light seeds, rice is sometimes used in home-made guasas.

The third and fourth musicians play a syncopated melody on a marimba known as a Chonta Marimba, one in the lower register and one in the high register. This marimba is indigenous to Colombia and is named for the chonta palm whose wood is used to construct its keys. The tuning of the marimba corresponds to the tuning of a major scale. Chonta marimbas typically do not include keys that correspond to the black keys of a piano. In addition to chonta palm keys, the chonta marimba also includes resonanting tubes made of guadua bamboo, a bamboo species indigenous to Colombia.

Many groups in Colombia perform this traditional style of music. Currently, the most renowned groups include Grupo Socavon, Grupo Gualajo, and Grups Bahia Trio.

In the United States two Colombian Bands performing this genre with authentic traditional instruments are La Cumbiamba NY, on the east coast (New York), and Aluna Band in the west coast (San Francisco)

http://www.mundoandino.com/Colombia/Music-of-Colombia

"Yo siento en lo más profundo
este cantar de mi gente.
La sangre da vuelta al mundo
como el mar al continente.
No tengo plata en baúles
ni en las venas sangre azul.
Currulao, Makerule,
Makerule, berejú.

Popayán y Cartagena,
Cartagena y Popayán.
Pena del negro es más pena
y el pan del negro no es pan.

Aunque ahora tú me adules
vengo de la esclavitud.
Currulao, Makerule,
Makerule, berejú.

Bailo con negra soltura
en Tumaco y Ecuador,
en Guapi, en Buenaventura
y en la costa del Chocó.
El cantar que tú modules
nunca tendrá la virtud
que tiene mi makerule,
currulao, berejú,

Makerule,
berejú!"

(Elcás Martán Cóngora)
1954

Cangrejo del manglar, danza del grupo Buscaja de buenaventura Valle Colombia investigacion del Jairo Mejia, Musica de MArimba sur pacifico Colombiano.Buenaventura Valle Colombia fue gravado este video en bogota Colombia en el crea NAcional PArrque Bolivar. Año 1998

By Desideria (Moderator) (Trustee board) on Jun 23, 2009, 08:31 in Friendly Talkzone.

Sam Salmon says on Jun 23, 2009, 08:37:

The dancing is ok but I can't take that monotonous drum pounding.

' a la orden!'

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Desideria (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Jun 23, 2009, 08:51:

There's a hypnotic quality in the beating of the currulao drum....I can imagine if you listen to it long enough and if the circumstances are right you can go into trance.

A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi

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Desideria (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Jun 23, 2009, 11:19:

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi

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Desideria (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Jun 24, 2009, 14:08:

(Folclor Chocoano- Jairo Varela)
En esta canoa rancháa
que tú me mandaste trae
ya viene rompiendo el agua
sólo por venite a vé (bis/repeat)
Sí mi compadre se muere
no es por falta de cuidao
debajo de la cama tiene
su plátano sancochao (Bis)
Adiós canoa...
Coro: Me voy pá Beté.
Rayando la aurora
Coro: Me voy pá Beté.
Al son de la luna
Coro: Me voy pá Beté.
Canoita, adiós...
Coro: Me voy pá Beté.
Ay pá Beté
Coro: Me voy pá Beté.
Ay pá Beté
Coro: Me voy pá Beté.
Ay adiós canoa...
Coro: Me voy pá Beté.
Rayando la aurora
Coro: Me voy pá Beté.
Ay pá Beté
Coro: Me voy pá Beté.
Ay pá Beté
Coro: Me voy pá Beté.
Y esos panes pá que son
Coro: Pá comelos con café
Y esos panes pá que son
Coro: Pá comelos con café
Adiós canoa...
Coro: Me voy pá Beté.
Ay rayando la aurora
Coro: Me voy pá Beté.
Al son de la luna
Coro: Me voy pá Beté.
Rompiendo la bruma
Coro: Me voy pá Beté.
Canoita ahee...

A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Darloup (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jun 24, 2009, 14:11:

As with most Afro-Colombian offerings, it's all about rythm, right?

Better to have tried and failed than having regrets all your life about what you MIGHT have missed

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dwmte7 says on Jun 24, 2009, 14:14:

love those instruments.

patriarch

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Darloup (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jun 24, 2009, 14:16:

Nelly was salivating when listening to this... ;-)

Give her a drum (and I've yet to understand the difference between a tambor, a tambora and a tamboril), then you can't stop her.

Better to have tried and failed than having regrets all your life about what you MIGHT have missed

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Desideria (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Jun 24, 2009, 14:20:

I love that music....it's part of the Colombian cultural heritage that is sometimes forgotten and pushed aside by the louder, more aggressive Caribbean influence (those accordeons tend to dominate and take over with their whiny sound) but the Pacific region has a solid cultural heritage to cherish and promote.

A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi

0 funny, 0 helpful.