Cool Stuff 2: Music from South America

 Traditional/Folk music of Bolivia 

Hello, welcome back! Today we’re moving into traditional Bolivia's folk music. But before we get into it we’re going to learn a little bit about Bolivia history. In an article I read it states that Bolivia is largely covered with the mountains of the Andes. Which has many uphills and downhills of tropical regions. Like many other Andean nations, a lot of folks and traditional music are combined with Spanish music. Even though the music is similar, it also has its own variety and dance styles and rhythms. Throughout the many years, carnivals and festivals have been held to reflect many dances and songs. Also, an artist called Los Jairas took folk music to the radio and made them popular all over Bolivia.

Traditional Instruments

The following song (shown below) is named Par Par Paimota by Los Jairs. When I first heard this song at the beginning, it reminded me of the many songs we’ve heard in class. Little is known about Los Jairas, but I was about to find out a little bit about them. Ernesto Cavour is playing the charango. The charango is a small Andean stringed instrument; it is like a small banjo. Edgar Joffre is the voice and plays the drums and zampone (also called siku). The zampona is a Andean panpipe. It consists of several different flute sizes. Gilbert Favre is playing the quena (kena). The quena is a traditional flute of the Andes. It is made of 7 holes made out of wood. Julio Goday was the fourth member but it does not say what instrument he was playing. What caught my ears about this song is that it feels like it can dance too. Also, it sounds very catchy with all the instruments being played. Below the song is posted. I hope you enjoy it!

Traditional Dances

Many of Bolivian dances are so fascinating to watch. This particular dance caught my eye because they incorporated the church in the dance. The video below shows a traditional Spanish and Catholic dance called Diablada. Men are dressed like demons. Wearing pointed horns and performing a battle-dance at the angle of the arc for 3 hours. In the video, when they dance, they explain the struggle between good and bad. In this dance, the angle of the arc reaches the church first. It's because it means that he has won, and that goodwill always wins. when they all arrive at the church, the people will thank the patron for watching over them. Below the video is posted. I really hope you like it just like I did!

Traditional Bolivian Dress

Like many other locations around the world, the way they dress has always attracted everyone's attention. The pollera is a dress that was required to wear by Spanish colonial rulers. It was used so that that they could be recognized and could be set apart. The Spanish colonizers made women wear traditional clothes from Spain rather than their own. 

In the article, I read a pollera is full of color and has a layer of pleated skirts. In spite of their origin, it symbolizes how proud they are of their indigenous heritage and origins. When the revolution ended, the women would wear a Pollara cap. Later, they would add a manta, a blouse, and an apron. They'd even use leg warms to keep them warm. And they'd wear Bombin to top that off. Bombin is a bright hat that perches on top of their heads. (Images below)

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Bolivia 

https://folkcloud.com/folk-music-by-country/bolivia 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Jairas 

https://www.visitbolivia.net/bolivia-guide/bolivian-dress.html