El Pirarucu de Oro -- International Folk Music Festival

By -
Every year for three days at the end of November, the El Pirarucu de Oro festival is held in Leticia, Amazonas, Colombia. The festival takes its name, Pirarucu, from a fish found in the region that can weigh up to 150 pounds and grow over six feet long. The fish is an endangered species which has lead Colombia, Brazil and Peru to declare a ban on the catching or killing of the fish from November-March of every year. The festival takes place during the ban as a tribute not only to the music of the area, but to the fish so closely associated with sustenance in the Amazon.

This year the festival is celebrating its 22nd consecutive year. There are several categories of competition:

1- Murgas Leticianas -- People of any age can participate in this category, but the songs must reflect the music of the area of Leticia and the surrounding region.

2- Cantantes Aficionados -- In this impromptu contest, participants must sing about an assigned topic (they cannot receive help from the audience) and are accompanied by a musical group that plays the different rhythms of the region.

3- Montaje Musical Dancistico -- These are coreographed dances which display through dance the daily life of the people of the region.

4- Composititor /Autor -- A theme is given prior to the event and composers write songs that are then judged with a prize awarded

There are also prizes for:
5- Best Musical group
6- Best Artist
7- Best Amazonian Song of the year


One of the greats of the music of the Amazon is Pedro Bernal. He won the best all around performer at the 8th Piracuru festival. This year, he was selected to represent the department of Amazonas in the recent GRAN CONCIERTO NACIONAL 2009 which was held in Bogota recently. You can see his performance at the National Concert here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tIouDonlgY

EVEN BETTER -- see him sing the National Anthem accompanied by a singing group of Ticuna Indians that sing the anthem in their native language.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSipZXcmoes&feature=related

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Muisca Indigenous Names, from Hunza (Tunja)

By -
In response to this week’s posts on names, I have received several e-mails asking about the names of famous Colombians and their stories and about Indigenous names. I plan to spend the next three days sharing some of them. Also, I will continue to post more in the future and you will be able to find them all by clicking on the NAMES link the LABELS section to the right of the blog. Name: AQUIMÍN ( pronounced: ah key MEAN) or AQUIMINZAQUE (pronounced: ah key mean ZAH kay) When the Spanish arrived on the plains of Bogotá, 1536, they found a great nation. In fact, it was the third largest group of indigenous inhabitants in America. They called themselves the Muiscas , which meant ‘the people’. Their language was called Chibcha . The Muiscas were not a united group, but rather a collection of city states. The majority of the power was held by two main cities – what today are called Bogotá and Tunja (in Boyacá). These two cities were mortal enemies and each enlisted the loy
Read more

Popular Colombian Names

By -
Recently, I was asked to write a post on Colombian names, and popular Colombian names. I had a hard time finding a list, but eventually I did find one. According to I.N.E. - Instituto Nacional de Estadística, -- unfortunately, when I found this it doesn't say the year -- the most common Colombian boys names across all ages are: 1 JUAN CARLOS 2 CARLOS ALBERTO 3 ALEXANDER 4 ANDRES FELIPE 5 LUIS FERNANDO 6 DIEGO FERNANDO 7 JHON JAIRO 8 CARLOS ANDRES 9 ALEJANDRO 10 JUAN DAVID The girls are: 1 SANDRA MILENA 2 LUZ MARINA 3 CAROLINA 4 PAULA ANDREA 5 CLAUDIA PATRICIA 6 MARIA EUGENIA 7 PAOLA ANDREA 8 DANIELA 9 LILIANA 10 MARTHA CECILIA Just as here, names go through ebb and flow. Fourteen years ago when we were married, I attended several baby baptisms and met numerous friends of my husband. At the time, it seemed like everyone was naming their kid Juan CAMILO (boy) or Maria CAMILA (girl). I met dozens of them. Then, about 7 years later, I heard tons of SANTIAGO, JULIAN, SEBASTIAN and FE
Read more

La Madremonte

By -
Image
The myth of the Madremonte (Mother Mountain), and I do say myth though many campesinos in Colombia believe in her today, has it's roots in the indigenous cultures of Colombia and is known throughout much of Colombia including Antioquia, Caldas, Arauca, Caqueta, Amazonas, Guainia, and perhaps more departments. The Madremonte looks like a large woman. She has large, bony hands, large teeth and Betty Davis Eyes -- which on closer examination glow. Her body is covered in leaves and moss. Her hair is a tangled mess of plants and moss which often covers her face. She lives in the mountains and jungles, (in Antioquia and Caldas she lives in swamps where streams are born. People who claim to have seen her, usually report to have done so near thickets and bushes in jungle like areas. Others report having heard her bloodcurdling screams and groans on stormy nights. She rules the winds, the rains, and all the vegetation, and her role is to protect nature. She punishes those who invad
Read more