Arpa Paraguaya

Jorge Gurascier - Arpa Paraguaya

LP released in 1971

Unfortunately, there is not any useful information to be found about Jorge Gurascier or this particular LP. No liner notes have been provided by the label. All I can say is that if you enjoyed the Paraguayan Harp, Vol. 2 post from last year, you'll enjoy this one.

Tracklisting:

Side A

1.  Pajaro Campana  {4:23}

2.  Canto del Reservista  {3:41}

3.  Rodriquez Pena  {2:03}

4.  Misionera  {3:11}

5.  Que Sera de Ti  {3:30}

6.  Asuncion  {3:10}

Side B

1.  Tren Lechero  {3:06}

2.  Sueno Otonal  {3:47}

3.  Cascada  {3:55}

4.  India  {3:48}

5.  Virgencita de Caacupe  {2:23}

6.  Mis Noches Sin Ti  {3:36}

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Paraguayan Harp, Vol. 2

Ed Lange and His Trio Andeno - Paraguayan Harp, Vol. 2

released on LP in 1977

I found this record at a thrift store. While finding really good records like this one between $1 and $2 at thrift stores and other similar places is great, one of the drawbacks is that volume 2 of something is there yet volume 1 or other volumes are missing. I searched in the same racks again twice trying to find the first volume of Paraguayan Harp. No luck. Perhaps someday I'll obtain volume 1. In the meantime, do enjoy Paraguayan Harp, Vol. 2 supremely produced and performed.

From the liner notes:

The Indian Harp of Paraguay was most probably introduced to South America by the Jesuit missionaries of the middle 1500's. These astute men studied the Guarani language (the language of the Tupi-Guarani Indians in and around Paraguay) and Christianized them in their native language, and taught them to sing and dance in celebration of the God of the Western European world. Most probably it was the medieval harp of Ireland that was carried to Paraguay. After many turbulent years, during which the missionaries were killed or run out of Paraguay, the musical instruments and European influence remained.

Until the turn of this last century, the harp was most probably an accompanying instrument, and differed in shape and tonal quality from the present one. As the harp gained popularity, it became more and more the focal point of conjuntos [groups], and began to attract the attention of prolific folk song composers. The Paraguayan harp of today is a highly sophisticated, incredibly fine-tempered instrument, and is still undergoing changes. It is distinctively Paraguayan, and yet has found popularity the world over. It is a diatonic instrument, and has 36 strings covering five octaves. It is played with the fingernails and callouses to achieve a wide range in tonal qualities. Although diatonic, much of the solo music of the harp is played in the relative minor key, and guitars sometimes add in missing notes to achieve otherwise impossible chords. The masters of the instrument have achieved a rapid dexterity that entrances audiences, who see hands flying all over the harp. This is a virtuoso's instrument, and to play it well requires either brutal attack of the instrument - or tender caressing of the strings. It is a harp played by men and yet... it sings to the Gods.

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1.  Pajaro Campana (The Bell Bird)  {4:16}

2.  El Condor Pasa  {3:56}

3.  Malambo  {4:03}

4.  Lamento Paraguayo (Paraguayan Lament)  {3:22}

5.  Rio Rebelde (Rebel River)  {2:45}

Side 2

1.  Mi Atarraya (My Fishing Net)  {3:06}

2.  El Tren (The Train)  {2:35}

3.  Zambita  {3:07}

4.  Torrealbara  {3:06}

5.  Caballito (Little Horse)  {2:30}

6.  La Calecita (Merry-Go-Round)  {1:52}

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Tarahumara Matachin Music

Matachines Tarahumares - Tarahumara Matachin Music

released on LP in 1979

Recorded on the morning of January 6, 1979, with the Alta Tarahumara of the Sierra Madre Occidental, Chihuahua, Mexico, inside a church.

The Tarahumara - Raramuri or "Runners" in their own language - occupy the plateaus, valleys, and barrancas of Mexico's Sierra Madre Occidental in Western Chihuahua, Due mostly to the extreme ruggedness and isolation of their homeland, they have been left pretty much to their own devices since the mission days of colonial New Spain. In recent years the logging and tourist industries have made inroads into the Sierra, and Tarahumara crafts, if not the people themselves, have come to be somewhat familiar to interested city dwellers in Mexico and the United States. Their isolation is still a very real thing, however, and it has led to the preservation of a good deal of traditional Tarahumara life, complete with skills, activities, and world views which seem to have taken their present form in the years prior to 1800.

Like almost all of Mexico's Indians, the Tarahumara show evidence of the intense Christianization programs which were carried on under the auspices of the Spanish Crown by Catholic missionaries. Due to their isolation, Tarahumaras accepted less of European culture than did other groups, and adopted much of what they did accept to their own ancient patterns and preferences. The Spanish influences remain, however, and are very important in the music and dances which make up this record.

The Matachines dance is widespread throughout the area that once was Northwestern New Spain - an area which now lies on both sides of the recently imposed International Border between the United States and Mexico. It is a European ritual dance with New World details and flavor, and is found among both Indians and Spanish-descended populations. It is usually performed by two lines of men, to the music of such Old World instruments as violins, guitars, and harps. The dancers wear special costumes which often include headdresses, colorful shirts, and sashes tied round the body. The dance figures are reminiscent of such familiar secular dances as the Virginia Reel. These are not recreational or social dances, however; Matachines dance as an act of religious devotion. The dance can best be described as a prayer in motion, sound and color.

Matachines dances are an important part of the ceremonial year in many Tarahumara communities, especially in the eastern highland area where these recordings were made. They only appear at specific times, usually around December. In one community, for example, the Matachines start dancing at household fiestas in late November. They then appear at a big fiesta in the church on Our Lady of Guadalupe's Day, December 12. Other appearances may be made on Christmas and New Year's Eves. They appear for the last time to celebrate the Day of the Kings, Epiphany - which falls on January 6. Only during this brief period do the Matachines dance, and only at this time can one hear violin music in Tarahumara country.

The violin is the lead Matachina instrument. In fact, where this recording was made, only violins are used for the dance, although guitars are permitted in other communities. Since its introduction into the area by Jesuit missionaries, the violin has become an important Tarahumara instrument and their manufacture is a common household craft. All the violins heard here were homemade of local mountain woods. The instruments vary in size and tone, a feature which lends interest and variety to the ensemble music. They are held at an angle across the chest, in an archaic playing position. The usual tuning employed is CFGG, a deviation from the standard classical tuning. When there is a large group of fiddlers, as is the case on this record, they may play both in unison and in parts. One musician (not always the same one) will lead each tune.

There is a large body of Tarahumara Matachines tunes, concerning which outsiders still know almost nothing. There seems to be a different repertoire for each of four basic activities: dancing at private house fiestas, dancing in front of the church, dancing inside the church, and dancing in procession. Tunes vary in length from 5 to 6 minutes to as long as 30 minutes. This may be determined by the length and complexity of the figure being danced. In between tunes, the musicians may sit for five or more minutes, returning their instruments. Then one man will start to play, others will join him, and the dancing begins again.

There are from 20 to 30 dancers. They are dressed in a costume consisting of a loose-sleeved Tarahumara shirt, shoes and trousers (not normally items of Tarahumara apparel) and one or two embroidered capes over the shoulders. Several colorful bandana handkerchiefs are worn on the head, face, shoulders and waist. On each dancer's head is his crown or corona, constructed of a wood frame and covered with paper streamers and small reflectors. In his right hand he holds a rattle, which may be made locally of gourd or purchased in a store. In his left hand is the palma, a three-pronged wand with paper streamers attached. Each Matachina dances in total silence and concentration, timing his movements to coincide exactly with those of his fellows. On occasion, all stamp their booted feet on the ground - a sound that you can hear on the record.

Accompanying the Matachines at this fiesta were four leaders, or Chapeones. The chapeon is dressed in a normal Tarahumara costume of shirt, sash, breechcloth and sandals. He may carry a small coiled whip of office. His job is to gather the Matachines together and see that they do what is expected of them. The chapeones encourage the dancers with shrill falsetto cries which can be heard on the record and which add a special flavor to the musical experience. (Jim Griffith)


Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. track 1 {4:18}

2. track 2 {5:25}

3. track 3 {3:28}

4. track 4 {4:03}

5. track 5 {4:03}

Side 2

1. track 6 {6:42}

2. track 7 {14:58}

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Realm of the Incas

Elisabeth Waldo - Realm of the Incas

released on LP

I would like to share with you another musical exploration into the mystic Realms of the Ancient Americas - the Realm of the Incas! Through his musical instruments, and those of other brilliant Indian Civilizations which preceded him (Nazca, Mochica, Chimu, etc), it is conceivable that the Inca had a high degree of musical development rivaling his other great accomplishments of art and architecture. A semblance of the ancient music still exists in remote areas but is fast disappearing with the discordant advances of modern living.

So whether it was a descendant of these Quechua-Aymara speaking families who hummed an ancient air in my ear, or a reference from the Archives of the Conquistadores, I have striven with these rare instruments of bone and clay, superimposed on modern instruments, to maintain the characteristics and awesome sounds of this nation as it comes alive in my mind.

"Taqui" a "dance-song" was the principal musical form of Incan times. It was always blended in religious expression, and suggests stately rituals and pagan festivals. The simple five tone scale predominates and in turn is plaintive, lyrical and rhythmic. I have used an abundance of appogiaturas, mournful cadences, and suspension endings - all characteristics which make this music definable and contribute to the exotic quality.

Besides the musical possibilities of the Pre-Columbian past, the Entrance of Pizzaro heralded another transformation. The clash of ideals which followed with the impact of the European culture and musical instruments on aboriginal tastes is one of the engaging stories of all times. The results? A hardy "Mestizo" music which is the outgrowth and blending of these two forces culminating in the creation of new American musical forms that could not have been duplicated in any other section of the world.

The Spanish stringed instruments were adopted by the Indians and with their own brand of modification, used freely in interpreting their native music.

I have found that the Indian of all areas leaves his stamp on his musical contributions as indelibly as the African leaves his mark on the better known Afro-forms. Above all, the Indian, of noble soul, strives his entire life to unite the forces of man and nature about him. (Elisabeth Waldo)



Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Land of the Sun Kings {3:35}

2. Song of the Chasqui {2:41}

3. Incan Festival Dance {2:35}

4. On the High Plateau {2:56}

5. Making Chicha {2:12}

Side 2

1. Balsa Boat {4:06}

2. Swinging the Quipu {2:54}

3. Saycusca! (The Weary Stones) {3:38}

4. Dance of the Nustas {2:38}

5. Entrance of Pizzaro {3:47}

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Maracatu [REPOST]

The Elisabeth Waldo Group - Maracatu

released on LP

Performers:

Elisabeth Waldo - violin
Burnett Atkinson - woodwinds
Guy Horn - guitar
Peter Mercurio - string bass
Jose Pablos and Chet Ricard - percussion

Lovers of the unusual will find this album a fascinating offering of music and sounds from the lands of contrast. Mystic - rhythmic - exotic - plaintive - whether the strains that predominate have grown out of Indian, Spanish or African influences, or whether they have their roots in remote jungle lowlands, high mountain peaks or isolated villages - the strains are immersed in the primitive and filled with spiritual symbolism.

Before the advent of the "Conquistadores," no stringed instruments existed in this hemisphere. With the introduction of the violin and the guitar by the Spanish, a fantastic musical change took place with the superimposition of these instruments on the barbaric percussion and the woodwind instruments that already existed in aboriginal America. The Indians and jungle peoples set about carving new instruments in the likeness of those they had seen, thus creating new sounds and scales. And so, the stone hatchet of the jungles, born before the discovery of America, exists today side by side with that which has been contributed by the European culture. This music is the offspring of those two interwoven cultures. (from the liner notes)



Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Siembra {2:51}

2. Carnavalito {1:57}

3. I Coos (Oh Joyous Wind) {2:23}

4. Cueca {2:55}

5. Cancion del Carretero (Song of the Carretero) {2:35}

6. Maracatú {3:51}

Side 2

7. Tun-kul {2:52}

8. Tamborito {2:43}

9. Seri Lullaby {2:20}

10. "La Llorona" (The Weeper) {2:47}

11. Indian Procession (Lament to the Dead Emperor) {2:43}

12. Malaguena {2:55}

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The Artistry of Sergio Cuevas

-->Sergio Cuevas - The Artistry of Sergio Cuevas

released on LP in 1969; recorded in Paraguay

The harp, coming from the Greek word harpe or faulx which described its original shape was, in Ancient times, shaped like a sickle.

The Indian harp is an instrument, which was introduced into South America by the Spanish and Irish Jesuit missionaries, as a means to accompany the popular songs allowed in the churches with new . . . words.

The harp has become the national instrument of Paraguay where Sergio Cuevas was born, in 1939, at Villarrica.

From the age of fifteen he devoted himself entirely to the study of this instrument. In 1958, he was selected by the Paraguayan Government to be the musical Ambassador of his country at the Latin American Festival in Miami. In 1962, he left for South Africa with the Sophie Tucker show. Today, he travels throughout the world interpreting this mulatto music which is full of charm and nostalgia. When the record is played, it casts a spell which is due, doubtlessly, to this extraordinary virtuoso, to the palpitating rhythm, the fantastic and close . . . very close throbbing of the music. (from the liner notes)

-->

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Colorado {2:22}

2. Som Coiman {2:57}

3. Misionera {3:00}

4. Lagrimas {3:11}

5. Angela Rosa {2:26}

6. Bayon de Madrid {2:14}

Side 2

1. Cascada {4:11}

2. Lamento Paraguyo {2:53}

3. Luna Llera {3:09}

4. Caballito {2:50}

5. Maria Elsa {2:48}

6. Luna de Miel {2:10}

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Legend of the Jivaro

Yma Sumac - Legend of the Jivaro

This album contains the rare album of authenticity: the songs of the notorious Jivaro headhunters, learned by Yma Sumac in the tribesmen's South American mountain-jungle home, and sung by her in exotic native instrumental settings.

To unearth the Jivaro music - the stories their ancient songs tell, the musical instruments of their culture - Yma Sumac and her husband, Moises Vivanco, one of the foremost authorities on ancient music, travelled deep into the headhunters' native territory. There, her mastery of the Jivaro dialect (she was reared less then one hundred miles from their land) helped facilitate the research in that strange and obscure society.

In ancient times, the Jivaros, being neighbors of the highly cultured Incas, were comparatively civilized. However, the advent of the Spanish conquistadores in the 16th century greatly altered their lives. Their temples were looted, their treasures stolen, their villages destroyed. Thus it was that the Jivaros lived in their remote mountainous jungles, alone and bitter, hating the white man, reverting to a near stone-age existence, including the practice of head-shrinking, and doing all in their power to remain alive and free from the influences of the outside world.

Recently, Yma Sumac and Moises Vivanco, who serves as her composer, arranger, and conductor, went into the Jivaro country armed only with trinkets, good intentions, and a tape recorder. Fortunately, the Jivaros proved friendly and Vivanco was able to tape innumerable native sounds and melodies to use for reference in the composition of the songs for this album. (from the liner notes on the back cover)

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Jivaro {2:52}

2. Sejollo (Whip Dance) {1:40}

3. Yawar (Blood Festival) {2:29}

4. Shou Condor (Giant Condor) {2:21}

5. Sauma (Magic) {3:39}

6. Nina (Fire Arrow Dance) {2:10}

Side 2

1. Sansa (Victory Song) {2:48}

2. Hampi (Medicine) {3:06}

3. Sumac Soratena (Beautiful Jungle Girl) {1:40}

4. Aullay (Lullaby) {3:41}

5. Batanga Hailli (Festival) {1:32}

6. Wanka (The Seven Winds) {3:03}
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Inca Taqui

Yma Sumac and Moises Vivanco - Inca Taqui

Down from the towering Andes comes the exotic music of an ancient civilization, sung by a fabulous Princess of its people. The lovely singer is YMA SUMAC and her music is INCA TAQUI, Chants of the Incans.

For three thousand years music has played a vital role in every activity of Inca life, and musicians have been the most honored members of the Inca community. Yma Sumac brings to the outside world the fullness and beauty of her people's spirit, singing traditional chants in a voice of magnificent range and emotional power. The language of the chants is K'eshwa, still spoken today by twenty million South Americans.

MOISES VIVANCO is an eminent authority on ancient music; he has drawn carefully upon native Incan melodies and rhythms in composing and directing the selections for this unique album.

Information above is from the liner notes. There is more information about this amazing vocalist at the official site and the Wikipedia page. Also there is some information about Moises Vivanco (Yma Sumac's husband) at this site.

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. K'arawi (Planting Song) {3:14}

2. Cumbe-Maita (Calls of the Andes) {3:04}

3. Wak'ai (Cry) {2:26}

4. Incacho (Royal Anthem) {3:06}

Side 2

1. Chuncho (The Forest Creatures) {3:36}

2. Llulla Mak'ta (Andean Don Juan) {2:24}

3. Malaya! (My Destiny) {3:22}

4. Ripui (Farewell) {2:57}

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