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MUSIC Introduction Dance Along To Latin and South American Folk Thanks to its African roots, folk songs from South America share Africa’s intricate percussion and groove. Most traditional South American folk music is conjoined to special dances, the most popular types being the lively “cumbia” and the Argentinian tradition called the “zamba.” Latin and South America are also known for political folk rock genres and flagship bands. In Chile, the genre of Nueva cancion was born in the 60s, and became so popular and widespread that it even became the focal point of Catalan nationalism in Spain in its heyday. It revived Andean folk music throughout the continent and began from a commitment to social good to representing the left and resisting Pinochet’s rule in Chile.
Prototype by Laurent Guidali 10 Brian Kay - Epitaph of Seikolos [Oldest Complete Song] The Seikilos epitaph is the oldest surviving complete musical composition, including musical notation, from anywhere in the world. The epitaph has been variously dated, but seems to be either from the 1st or the 2nd century CE. The song, the melody of which is recorded, alongside its lyrics, in the ancient Greek musical notation, was found engraved on a tombstone (a stele) from the Hellenistic town of Tralles near present-day Aydın, Turkey, not far from Ephesus. It is a Hellenistic Ionic song in either the Phrygian octave species or Iastian tonos. While older music with notation exists (for example the Hurrian songs), all of it is in fragments; the Seikilos epitaph is unique in that it is a complete, though short, composition. The following is the Greek text found on the tombstone (in the later polytonic script; the original is in majuscule), along with a transliteration of the words which are sung to the melody, and a somewhat free English translation thereof; this excludes the musical notation: “Ὅσον ζῇς φαίνου μηδὲν ὅλως σὺ λυποῦ πρὸς ὀλίγον ἔστι τὸ ζῆν τὸ τέλος ὁ χρόνος ἀπαιτεῖ.” “hóson zêis, phaínou mēdèn hólōs sỳ lypoû pròs olígon ésti tò zên tò télos ho khrónos apaiteî.” “While you live, shine have no grief at all life exists only for a short while and Time demands his due.” By the Etoille App; Flickr; CC BY 2.0
Facing Page. “African tradtional music,” art by Shoushy Kojayan; Wikimedia Commons; CC BY-SA 4.0
By Evangeline W
In Argentina, Rock nacional musicians were initially under rock influences from the USA in the 50s but they soon became a huge resistance movement all its own to internal war. Rockers and bands from this genre were consistently hunted and jailed by military governments in the country for enlightening the common folk against militarism. Other traditional folk genres include Vallenato from Columbia, Bambuco from aboriginal South Americans, Joropo from Venzuela, Huayno from Peru and Bolivia, Milonga from Uruguay and Brazil, and Chacarera from Argentina. Some classic folk groups include Argentinian supergroup Serú Girán and Aterciopelados from Columbia that are sure to get you off your feet. For fans of modern folk rock, you can check out the alternative sounds of energetic bands such as Onda Vaga and Baleia to enhance your cultural knowledge of all things folk.
