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The Forms and Styles
Though there are numerous different styles and forms in Andean music, there are distinct "families" into
which the various forms can be associated, however these families have no real names as such. Instead
one can associate the rhythm or style with a particular region, whereas other forms have a more historic
significance. Some of the forms described below contain links to a short audio sample which will open a
Windows media player window allowing you to hear an example of the rhythm or form in MPEG layer 3 format.
Huayño, Huaylash, Saya, Tonada
These are more traditional rhythms with some regional variants. They mostly have a straight two or four beat
rhythm, often with either triplets or a "crochet, quaver-quaver" rhythm ("one, two-and, one two-and").
The huayño originates mainly in the area round southen Peru and northwestern Bolivia. Though there
are several different types of huayño, they all have similar structures. Closely related is the
huaylash from peru, which is slightly faster in rhythm, with melodic strains of uneven lengths.
The Bolivian Saya is a processional dance in a similar, but differently accented rhythm (usually with
the heavy accents on beats one and two of a four beat structure, but with beats three and four carrying
a "response" to the first two accents). A number of songs and other pieces of music in the rhythm of the
Saya have been produced over the years, including "Baila Caporal" (Illapu) and the song
"Llorando se Fue", which has been modified to suit a large number of different rhythms for popular music styles
including Salsa, Rumba, and even Rock, under the more popular name "Lambada".
Finally, the Tonada, again having a similar rhythm and thus could be considered from the same family, is
a much slower and pulsating rhythm. Two very famous examples of this rhythm are "Rebelion de los condores"
which was made famous by the Chilean group Inti Illimani for
their set of recordings to accompany the BBC television documentary series "The Flight of the Condor"; and
finally "el Condor Pasa" by A. Robles, which is probably the most famous piece of Andean music in the world.
The main motive/theme of "el Condor Pasa" was popularised in the late 1970s and early 1980s by Paul Simon.
Carnavalito, Bailecito, Trote, Chacarera
These rhythms were integrated as a result of a mixture of rhythms stemming from the Colombian conquests.
They have similar structures of three or six beat measures, though with the "two against three" type
syncopation. ("one two-and-three, one two-and-three"). The Trote/Carnaval entitled "Encuentros" in the
multimedia side-bar on the right is an example of this rhythm.
The
chacarera is similar in rhythm, but more accented and syncopated, and is typically found in Argentina.
This rhythm is a lively form with a relatively strict structure, which may also be accompanied by a
couples' courting dance. The origins of the dance are perhaps linked to the Spanish "seguidilla" and
the actual form of the dance resembles the modern spanish "Sevillana", complete with the four phases
of the courtship: the Meeting, the Seduction, the Dispute, and the Reconciliation. Also in a three or six
beat format, the underlying accents are similar but not quite the same as in the Bailecito. There is, however
a closer semblance to the "chacarera". The cueca has a number of regional variants from Chile and Bolivia, however
the most commonly found is variant from western Argentina.
Taquirari
The taquirari is a Bolivian rhythm with a four or eight beat structure. While it may have some syncopation,
it has nevertheless a very distinctive second beat accent. I am not aware of any other regional variants to
the taquirari, which leads one to believe that it is unique to Bolivia.
San Juanito
The San Juanito is a very distinctive four-beat rhythm with heavily accented primary beats. The general form
itself is from Ecuador, and has several dozen variants from different regions of Ecuador. It is in this form that
one very often finds the ecuadorian variant of the panpipes called the rondador (see description in the instruments
section of this site). In addition to the traditional instruments, it is also common to find the use
of other "western" instruments as well, such as the violin and mandolin.
Other Forms
There are literally hundred of other forms, including:
and of course many others...
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DISCovery Productions
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