YouTube video: Merengue Típico by Arsenio de la Rosa

This merengue by Arsenio de la Rosa is a Dominican history lesson in
three minutes. He starts by explaining Columbus' arrival to the
island, called Quisqueya. He then proceeds to the colonial era and its
buildings, then to Dominican independence and the story of a general
who danced the merengue with a stutter step because he had a peg leg.
The people liked the stutter step and proceeded to imitate it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85ET7btQut8

YouTube video and articles on the Gaita Zuliana, from western Venezuela

The state of Zulia in western Venezuela is in the area surrounding
Lake Maracaibo, the main source of Venezuela's oil fields. Zulia's
northern border is the Caribbean Sea and the state borders Colombia on
its western side. The principal rhythm of this region is called a
"gaita." It is sometimes called "gaita zuliana" which distinguishes it
from the bagpipes played in northern Spain, also called gaitas. There
is also a flute and corresponding rhythm on Colombia's Caribbean coast
called gaita, but this is distinct from the Venezuelan rhythm.

YouTube video of Sabor Gaitero: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLAxEXpZx58
(There are several YouTube videos of Sabor Gaitero)

A short article in Wikipedia on the gaita zuliana:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaita_(music_style)

Wikipedia article on the state of Zulia, with maps, flag, coat of arms
and list of municipalities: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zulia
(There is a more detailed Wikipedia article in Spanish on the state of
Zulia at http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zulia)

An article called "La Gaita Zuliana: The Best Christmas Music You've
Never Heard Of":
http://vivirlatino.com/2006/12/25/la-gaita-zuliana-the-best-christmas-music-youve-never-heard-of.php

Link to YouTube video on San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia

The town of San Basilio de Palenque in Colombia, founded by runaway
slaves and home to a fusion of African languages and Spanish called
Palenquero, is featured in this news clip from CNN.

CNN video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgzOlTAze3Q

Wikipedia article on San Basilio de Palenque and links to other
articles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Basilio_de_Palenque

Palo de Mayo (May Pole) traditions in Bluefields, Nicaragua

The European May Pole dance combined with African traditions in Bluefields, a town on Nicaragua's Caribbean coast, to create a unique cultural blend. The May Pole Dance as celebrated in Bluefields during the month of May derives from African devotions to Mayaya, the goddess of fertility and maternity. It is believed that Mayaya taught the art of agriculture to the Africans. In some cases the songs or portions of the songs are performed in other parts of the Caribbean.

Musicians playing a May Pole song in Bluefields "as part of the forthcoming documentary by Bluefields Sound System which explores the struggle, survival and throbbing pulse of three generations of music from the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua": http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=7O4FJc8mlTc

The website on the Bluefields Sound System: http://www.bluefieldsound.com/

A report in Spanish on the Palo de Mayo dance traditions: http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=GJhNuQ9AQu8

An article in Spanish from El Nuevo Diario in Nicaragua on May 7, 2008 regarding the May Pole traditions in Bluefields: http://www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/opinion/15122

Links to YouTube videos: malambo from Argentina

In the early 80s I made friends with a group of Argentinians. Back then the Argentinian community in Philadelphia was very active, holding social events and featuring performances from local or visiting artists. I attended one event featuring a performer from New York named Juan Carlos Salazar, "El Super Gaucho," who dazzled the audience with his dancing, playing of the bombo and mastery of the boleadoras, which he banged on the stage in perfect rhythm. The audience, myself included, exploded in applause.

The Argentinian malambo can refer either to a guitar rhythm or to a dance of the gauchos. The dance is not accompanied by song lyrics and is primarily composed of the rhythm of the footwork or zapateo, though it sometimes is accompanied by a guitar or the bombo (drum). The feet
rarely touch the ground and feature lively movements and elaborate tapping with the soles, the heels, and other parts of the boot.

A brief description of the malambo dance:
http://www.travelsur.net/argentinamusic/malambo.html

A demonstration of the malambo rhythm on guitar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKXe8Vw-5EY

The malambo as a solo dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzNUImwU1-k

A modernized version of the malambo that adds the boleadoras or
lariats for stage performances:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYuCURAXTII

An article in Wikipedia regarding the bolas or boleadoras, as used by
the gauchos: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolas

Spain: View of Guadalquivir River, Seville

The Guadalquivir River cuts through the heart of Seville. The older part of the city is on the north bank (where the boats in this picture are docked).
In colonial times the ships that came from Spain's colonies in the Americas would arrive here, and as a result Seville was the hub of Spain's economic activity during much of this period.

Nowadays the river is too shallow for the commerce that used to characterize it, so it is more the domain of the tour boats. The large tower toward the right of the picture is called the "Torre del Oro" or Gold Tower.


See my webpage on Spain at http://www.latinandcaribbeantravel.com/spain.html

Other websites:

Caribbean Folk Arts Network (Caribfolk) - Caribbean cultural network: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/caribfolk/

Raices Culturales Latinoamericanas (Latin American Cultural Roots) - a nonprofit organization I founded in 1991 that presents Latin American cultural shows, exhibits, and workshops: http://www.raicesculturales.org/

Raicesnews - Latin cultural events in the Philadelphia area: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/raicesnews

Some notes about the culture of St. Martin

One of my motivations to travel to Latin America and the Caribbean is to collect recorded music, particularly folk music. There is much one can collect via amazon.com and in more conventional retail stores, but there are many places that you can only learn about by going there. St. Martin, well-known as a tourist mecca, is a case in point. In the mad rush to cater to foreign visitors and revenue, the culture of the island and the need to preserve its uniqueness as a legacy for its inhabitants are sometimes neglected.

Fortunately, there are people on the island who are serious about promoting the culture and teaching it to their children. One such person is Clara Reyes, who when I met her was finishing up a Master's program in dance at the State University of New York (SUNY) in Brockport. Clara did research into St. Martin's "ponum dance" as part of her Master's degree. The dance originated as a celebration of the liberation of the slaves on the island in 1848. Back then, as today, the island was divided between the French and the Dutch. France abolished slavery in its territories in 1848, and when the slaves on the Dutch side learned of this, they fled to the French side and ultimately the Dutch side of the island would have to grant freedom to its slaves as well. The Dutch would not abolish slavery in the rest of its territories until 1863.

Clara later took time out of her schedule to perform the dance in a presentation that we organized in Philadelphia in 2002. Shortly afterwards, Clara returned to the island after completing her studies in New York to begin teaching in a primary school on the Dutch side.

I made a follow-up visit to St. Martin in 2003 to meet people who practiced different types of folk arts. Among those I visited was Clara's mother, Regina Millet, who owned a souvenir shop in Philipsburg and posed for this picture. Regina was wearing a madras skirt which often appears in Caribbean folk dress.


Visit my webpage on the Caribbean at http://www.latinandcaribbeantravel.com/caribbean.html

Other websites:

Caribbean Folk Arts Network (Caribfolk) - Caribbean cultural network: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/caribfolk/

Raices Culturales Latinoamericanas (Latin American Cultural Roots) - a nonprofit organization I founded in 1991 that presents Latin American cultural shows, exhibits, and workshops: http://www.raicesculturales.org/

Raicesnews - Latin cultural events in the Philadelphia area: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/raicesnews