Musica
vallenata, literally the music of the Vallenatos, a small valley region located on the Caribbean coast in northeastern Columbia, has its own distinct cadence and feel, a sound developed in part because of the area's cultural isolation until late in the 20th Century and also because of its subtle African rhythmic tendencies, a hold over from the slave trade.
Vallenata is traditionally played on four instruments, the button accordion, the guacharaca rasp, a small drum known as the caja and, since the 1960s, the electric bass, while the music generally falls into paseos,
meringues (with triple beats, unlike the more familiar double beat
meringue form),
sones and puyas, each played, at least on this wonderful set from
Smithsonian Folkways, with an uncommon brightness and freshness that is as uplifting as it is energetic. Some two-dozen
vallenata performers spanning three generations are featured here, making this a nice introduction to the genre as it has evolved in the 21st century. It's difficult to pick out highlights since everything is cut from the same delightful sonic cloth, but key tracks here include the bouncy paseo
"A Blanco y Negro" by
Omar Geles that opens the sequence, the wry
meringue "A Lo Tuyo Tu" by
Isaac Carrillo, the easy flowing
"Mi Poema" (another paseo) by
Rosendo Romero, the graceful, almost waltzing
son "Fidelina" by
Alejo Duran, the puya (played at blazing speed)
"Pedazo de Acordeon," again from
Duran, and perhaps the most revealing track here, the largely improvised
"Puya," which features
Omar Geles (accordion),
Daniel Castilla (caja drum),
Gusmalda Kammerer (guacharaca), and
Luis Angel "El Papa" Pastor (bass), and allows each musician to shine individually as well as collectively. Bright, fun, and instructive,
Ayombe! is a delight from start to finish. ~ Steve Leggett
