Canarios

Mexican & Spanish Canarios from the 17th century:



Group: Capilla Jerónima
Album: La çaravanda del convento, Música Sacra para desacralizar.

Canto de Pastorela

A song from one of the "Pastorelas". "Las Pastorelas" or "Los Pastores" as they're sometimes called, are the "Shepherd's Plays" that Mexicans perform during Christmastime. The dialogue and details of the plot vary from place to place, but they all portray the journey of the shepherds to see the Christ Child in Bethlehem. Along the way they receive help and obstacles from angels and devils and face many temptations. The plays are often accompanied with music and song. The song below is from an album by singer Óscar Chávez.

Lyrics:

“A frozen December appears to come,
the rose of April will bear fewer flowers.

How beautiful is the countryside, how beautiful are the flowers;
how beautiful is the song of the nightingales.

Upon the horizon the shadow walks,
we greet the peace from Palestine.

Crystal water, transparent ice;
Blessed is He who comes, the King of Heaven!”

Las Posadas

December 16 is when Mexicans begin celebrating Las Posadas, which last for the 9 days before Christmas.

Disney has a pretty good description of the tradition, believe it or not, in the animated film The Three Caballeros:



The Spanish version of the film gives a better sense of the music of Las Posadas (0:35 to 1:50):

Zumbi ao vivo

Jorge Ben, peforms a live version of "Zumbi". The song was originally on "A Tábua De Esmerald", one of my favorite albums.

Cambia Todo Cambia

Argentine singer Mercedes Sosa sings "Todo Cambia" (Everything Changes), song by Julio Numhauser

Waters of March

"Águas de Março" with Tom Jobim and Elis Regina

La Malagueña

Scene from the film "Enamorada", starring Maria Felix and Pedro Armendariz, the Trio Calaveras singing "La Malagueña"

Peruvian Song "El Algarrobo"

More Peruvian music, a lovely song from the artist Alicia Maguiña. A kind of song called a triste, she ends in the tondero style.

el Tondero

Because I can do this now, I can't resist putting up another link. Peruvian singer Cecilia Barraza performing a tondero live, somewhere in Lima I suppose.

link to Youtube clip

Theres an article on the Peruvian tondero at this link. Next time I'll link something more Christmassy.