Re: Radio Nac. Paraguay

[khonzik@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

This is a message from khonzik@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
to hard-core-dx@xxxxxxxxxx list. To unsubscribe the list, send
"unsubscribe hard-core-dx" in mail body to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxx

Re: Radio Nac. Paraguay
=======================

From: Karel Honzik, Czech Republic, Europe

MUSICA DE PARAGUAY
  The music of Paraguay is a curiosity. Although this is the only South
American country the majority of whose population still speak the original
native tongue, the music is totally European in origin. The 17th and 18th
century Jesuits found the Guarani people to be highly musical and when
their missions were established, the natives were immediately and totally
indoctrinated into European music, of which they became fine performers,
albeit not composers or innovators.
  After the disastrous War of the Triple Allience there was an abandonment
of things national and even the national anthem was composed by a Uruguayan.
Although black slaves were introduced to the country, they became quickly
absorbed and there is no trace of black influence in the music.
Neither is there any Guarani element, nor infusion from Brazil or
Argentina. Virtually the only popular instruments are the guitar and harp
and it is the latter in particular that has come to be the hallmark of all
that is musically Paraguayan, with the assistance of such brilliant
performers as Felix Perez Cardoso and Digno Garcia.
  Paraguayan songs and notably languid and extremely sentimental and the
present repertoire is not "traditional", but of the 20th century origin and
by known composers. Of the three principal musical genres, two are slow
and for singing, while one is lively and purely for dancing.
  The two singing genres are the CANCION PARAGUAYA (or PURAJHEI) and the
GUARANIA, the former being a slow polka, of which the earliest and most
famous example is "Campamento Cerro Leon" about the War of the Triple
Allience. The GUARANIA was developed by Jose Asuncion Flores as recently as
the 1920s and includes most of the country:s best loved and oft-repeated
songs, such as "India", "Mi Dicha Lejana" and "Recuerdos de Ypacarai".
Equally celebrated and far more vigirous is the favourite of harp virtuosos,
the wordless but onomatopeic "Pajaro Campana".
  For dancing there are the lively POLCA PARAGUAYA and POLCA GALOPADA, first
mentioned in print in 1858. They have similarities with the Argentine "Gato"
for instance and are not a true polka nor a gallop, the names of these
popular European dances having been attached to an existing Paraguayan dance
of unknown name. The POLCA is a dance for couples, whilst the even livelier
GALOPA is usually danced by groups of women, the so-called "Galoperas",
who swing round barefoot, balancing a bottle or jar on their heads....
  Paraguayan music first came to the attention of the outside world soon
after the second world war and a number of artists such as Luis Alberto
del Parana and Los Paraguayos have achieved world fame.
  At the other end of the spectrum the four barefoot old men of the Banda
Peteke Peteke from Guajayvity near Yaguaron play their own traditional music
on two mimby flutes and two little drums, a small idiosyncratic island
in an ocean of harp music.         (Transcription)

........................................................................

GOOD DX   -  de Karel Honzik