Exitos Musicales

On 8 June 2010, the then President of Paraguay Fernando Lugo Méndez officially proclaimed the harp of Paraguay as ‘The Symbol of the Musical Culture of Paraguay’. The harp was brought to South America by the Jesuits from Spain around 1700. The harp developed in different ways – specifically in the style of play – in South American countries such as Mexico and Venezuela, but especially in Paraguay. Around 1950, Paraguay introduced the harp in its perfect form in The West and caused a true revolution there. It had become such a beautiful instrument, and the tone was so pure. Hundreds of ensembles travelled to Europe, of which the Trío Los Paraguayos became the most famous. All of the Paraguayan folk music was played with a harp, and therefore it became an indispensable attribute for this music. But also in Paraguay, progress could not be stopped and the harp threatened to be supplanted by the electronic keyboard. But that could not happen and with combined forces the harp eventually received its status it has because of the proclamation of 8 June 2010, thanks to propaganda, education, and festivals.

This month we will also start with a singing duo, BLANCO/TOLEDO of whom we do not know exactly who the accompanists are. Moreover, the LP in possession of the compiler does not give information about who the boys BLANCO and TOLEDO are. We will listen to a song because it’s still impressive and they were very popular. In our programmes, we already were introduced to this phenomenon of duo-singing that was known already since the fifties through Les Guaranis (the Francisco Marin) who were active in France. These kinds of records of duos such as Blanco-Toledo was not a success in Europe. Both sides of the record have 6 polkas, so a total of 12 and often in ‘guarani’, the language of Paraguay, of which we do not understand a word. That may have been a bit too much, even though the music is very good.

We haven’t finished on the subject of the prodigy NICOLÁS CABALLERO, so we will continue with that. After that, we will focus on the harpist IGNACIO ALDERETE who we also first were introduced to in Paris with LES GUARANIS DE FRANCISCO MARIN.

Playlist:

1) Cô’e Yave, polca  (Al Amanecer) – Dúo Blanco-Toledo
(A.Aguilera-Florencio Blanco) – Asunción A 1011

2) El alegre canto del violín (The joyous song of the violin)
(Nicolás Caballero) (2009)

3) Alfonsina y el mar, zamba – Nicolás Caballero (1978)
(Ariel Ramírez-Félix Luna)

4) Concierto en la llanura, joropo – Nicolás Caballero (1978)
(Juan Vicente Torrealba)

5) Cascada (Waterfall) – Nicolás Caballero (not accompanied) (2009)(Digno García)

6) Mis noches sin tí (My nights without you) – Nicolás Caballero (not accompanied) (2009) (María T.Márquez-Demetrio Ortiz)

7) Aves del campo (Bird of the country-side)  – Nicolás Caballero (not accompanied) (2009) (Nicolás Caballero)

8) Tren lechero (The milktrain) – Nicolás Caballero (not accompanied) (2009)(Félix Pérez Cardozo)

9) Selección de polcas (Che Valle mi Yaguarón, Paraguarí y Arroyos y Estereos) – Nicolás Caballero

10) Cubure’i – Ignacio Alderete  – Les Guaranis de Francisco Marín Barclay 86.054

11) Paloma blanca – Ignacio Alderete (Les Guaranis de Francisco Marín) (Neneco Nortón-A.De los Ríos) – Barclay 86.054

12) La bamba – Ignacio Alderete, harpa Los Machucambos – Latin Hits (Trad.-arr. R.Gayoso) Decca DGS 10 (1961)

13) Paraguaí-pe, canción-instr. – Alderete, Ignacio Y Su Arpa
(Asunción Flores-Ortiz Guerrero) TK 90-056 (1982)

14) Apitavo che añomí, purajhei – Ignacio Alderete  Y Su Arpa – (Chants et Danses d’Amérique Latine) – Barclay 920 077

15) Resedá, polka – Ignacio Alderete – (Chants et Danses d’Amérique Latine) – (Pedro Gamarra) Barclay 920 077

16) Serenata, purajhei – Ignacio Alderete – Chants et Danses d’Amérique Latine – (Epifanio Méndez Fleitas) – Barclay 920 077

17) Pájaro campana – Ignacio Alderete Les Guaranis de Francisco Marín (Félix Pérez Cardozo) – Barclay 86.054