Proud and playful Trinidadian parang is a joyful genre of Caribbean folk music.
Parang is a staple of the Christmas season in Trinidad, Tobago and Venezuela. When parang performers regularly start their singing before sunrise and sing LOUDLY to rouse their friends from their beds. This video from Lopinot, Trinidad, introduces us, gloriously, to Trinidadian parang standard, “Rio Manzanares.” (We LOVE this.) In All Around This World classes we give our all to another parang song, “Ola de la Mar.”
Who is the champion of the Venezuelan harp?
The Arpa Llanera is essential to llanero music of Venezuela, the songs of ranchers from the Venezuela plains. In music class we don’t quite play the Venezuela harp, but we do enjoy a good harp-off. So, friends, which genius harpist rocks the strings harder? The guy in the linked video, or this shirtless dude?
Huracán del fuego = HURRICANE OF FIRE!
We start our music class week of meeting Venezuelan music and culture with the video of Afro-Venezuelan master percussion ensemble, Huracán del fuego, blazing through “BomBa.” Can you think of a better name of any band, ever?
(That’s a trick question. There is competition.)
This week our online class for little kids takes us to Venezuela, a country that, primarily because of its outspoken not-so-long-ago-past leader, Hugo Chavez, got lots of press in the U.S for many years….and not all of it good. Debating the geopolitical implications of Chavez’s continued Bolivarian Revolution — and the many problems Venezuela is facing today — may be beyond the purview of a kiddie music class, so All Around This World will mainly focus on Venezuela’s rich, multifaceted culture. (Even that may be beyond the purview of a kiddie music class, but that’s our story and we’re stickin’ with it.) We’ll sing, dance, and even count like the Yanomami, who live in the Amazon on the border with Brazil.
Oscar D’Leon will sing us out….
Let’s end our week of kids’ music class that focuses on Venezuela by with this video of Venezuelan salsa star Oscar D’Leon. His nation is facing the most difficult of difficult times. As we dance along, let’s also stand with the Venezuelans.
If you want to make music, get with El Sistema.
As we visit Venezuela this week in our music class we absolutely must tip our hat to El Sistema, Venezuela’s extraordinary music education program. Students start learning music in preschool and participate in music programs several hours a day, up to six days a week. Want to be inspired (and jealous!)? Here are the fundamentals.
More music to celebrate this week’s online class visit to Venezuela. Watch these kids dance to Joropo, music of the Venezuelan plains, and I guarantee you’ll dance along.
