Peruvian Waltz
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The vals criollo (), or Peruvian waltz (), is an adaptation of the European
waltz The waltz ( , meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom dance, ballroom and folk dance, in triple (3/4 time, time), performed primarily in closed position. Along with the ländler and allemande, the waltz was sometimes referred to by the ...
brought to the
Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
during colonial times by
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. In the Viceroyalty of Peru, the waltz was gradually adapted to the likings of the Criollo people. In the 20th century, the genre became symbolic of the nation's culture as it gained widespread popularity in the country. It also became popular outside of Peru, particularly in
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
, where local artists composed many notable Peruvian waltz compositions such as Amarraditos and Que nadie sepa mi sufrir.


History

"La Guardia Vieja," translated as "the old guard," was a time period in Peru approximately from 1900 to 1920 in which as a result of the combination of European, Afro-Peruvian, and indigenous musical elements the ''vals criollo'' emerged among the public. The music is characterized by the use of triple metre, sometimes compound duple time, and the lyrics consist of verses in strophic form with intercalated choruses. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the ''vals criollo'' became the main musical expression of the urban working class, with its lyrics reflecting their cultural personality, conflicts, and value systems. Composers such as Felipe Pinglo Alva, Laureano Martinez, Carlos Saco, Filomeno Ormeño Belmonte, and Alicia Maguiña enriched and drove the music at the time.


Development

In the 1940s, groups like Los Trovadores del Perú, Los Chalanes del Perú and later Los Morochucos y Los Embajadores Criollos created a unique sound that made the now called ''Vals Criollo'' and music more distinct from the European Waltz and other dances of South America such as the Tango. By the 1950s, popular composer and singer Chabuca Granda helped in making the music widely known throughout
Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
, and the name ''Vals Peruano'' in time became used to refer to the dance in countries outside of
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
. In the
Argentine tango Argentine tango is a musical genre and accompanying social dance originating at the end of the 19th century in the suburbs of Buenos Aires. It typically has a Time signature, or rhythmic time signature, and two or three parts repeating in pat ...
community a special style of tango developed, adapted to the music of ''vals criollo'', and commonly known simply as
vals Vals is the word for waltz in many European languages. Vals or VALS may also refer to: * Peruvian waltz The vals criollo (), or Peruvian waltz (), is an adaptation of the European waltz brought to the Americas during colonial times by Spain. In ...
. Granda's song "
La flor de la canela "La flor de la canela", commonly translated to the English language as "The Cinnamon Flower", is a Creole waltz composed by the Peruvian singer-songwriter Chabuca Granda. The song was first recorded in 1950 by the musica criolla trio '. However ...
" is considered the unofficial anthem of
Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...
, the Peruvian capital. At the height of its national and international popularity, the sounds of the 1950s and into the 1970s were introduced into the Vals Peruano by musicians and singers such as Lucha Reyes, Los Morochucos,
Los Troveros Criollos Los Troveros Criollos (English: The Creole Searchers) is a Peruvian musical group that is recognized for its contribution to ''música criolla''. Between 1952 and 1961, they recorded a wide range of songs, which became standards within the genre. ...
, Fiesta Criolla and later on
Eva Ayllón Eva María Angélica Ayllón Urbina (born February 7, 1956), better known by her stage name Eva Ayllón, is a female composer and singer, one of Peru's foremost Afro-Peruvian musicians, and one of the country's most enduring living legends. She ...
, Arturo Cavero and Oscar Avilés. In modern times, the Vals Peruano, although softer and less traditional than before, still remains a widely popular symbol of Peruvian culture and still holds a certain degree of popularity in
Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
n society.


Music

''
Musica criolla Musica (Latin), or La Musica (Italian) or Música (Portuguese and Spanish) may refer to: Music Albums * ''Musica è'', a mini album by Italian funk singer Eros Ramazzotti 1988 * ''Musica'', an album by Ghaleb 2005 * ), a German album by Giova ...
'' such as the ''vals criollo'' typically includes two main instruments that symbolically represent European and African heritage: the guitar and the
cajón A cajón ( ; "box, crate, drawer") is a box-shaped percussion instrument originally from Peru, played by slapping the front or rear faces (generally thin plywood) with the hands, fingers, or sometimes implements such as brushes, mallets, or st ...
. Typically, the lead guitarist plays solos and strongly plucked phrases on the upper strings, while a second guitarist performs riffs (''bordones'') on the two lowest strings and strums rhythmically. In the early part of the twentieth century, guitars, hand clapping and singing were the traditional instrumentation. By the mid-twentieth century, the cajón was incorporated, providing a rhythmic base for the music.Feldman, Heidi Carolyn. Black Rhythms of Peru- Reviving African Musical Heritage in the Black Pacific. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 2006. Print.


See also

*
Desde el Alma Clotilde Mela Rosa Luciano, better known as Rosita Melo (July 9, 1897 – August 12, 1981), was an Argentine-Uruguayan pianist, composer and poet. She is the author of the famous ''vals criollo'' (Creole Waltz) ''"Desde el alma"'' for whic ...
, , famous Peruvian waltzes


External links


El Rosario de mi Madre

Embrujo


References

{{Music in Spanish Peruvian dances Waltz Waltz, Creole Peruvian styles of music