Pasillo
Encyclopedia
Pasillo is a South American genre
of music extremely popular in the territories that composed 19th century Gran Colombia
: Colombia
; Ecuador
, where it is considered the national musical style; and to a lesser extent in the mountainous regions of Venezuela
and Panamá
. It's worth mentioning that Venezuelans refer to this style of music as: "vals" (Spanish for "Waltz").
Today, it has incorporated more Europe
an features of classical dance, such as Viennese waltz
. As it spread during the Gran Colombia
period, pasillo also absorbed the individual characteristics of isolated villages. This gives it an eclectic feel; however, the style
, tone
, and tempo
of the music differ in each village, and indeed between each country.
In its waltz, pasillo alters the classically European dance form to accompany guitar
, mandolin
, and other string instruments.
and Ecuadorian nationalism
.
Pasillo gained in popularity from the recordings of the duet "Ecuador", once performed by Enrique Ibañez Mora and Nicasio Safadi
. It reached its apex during the career of Julio Jaramillo
.
Younger generations of Ecuadorians still enjoy pasillos.
Paillo has been a very popular style of music in Colombia
since the 19th century. Famous Colombian Pasillos include: Espumas, Pueblito Viejo, Pescador Lucero y Rio, and Oropel. Colombian artists such as Silva y Villalba and Garzon y Collazos have helped popularize pasillo around the world.
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
of music extremely popular in the territories that composed 19th century Gran Colombia
Gran Colombia
Gran Colombia is a name used today for the state that encompassed much of northern South America and part of southern Central America from 1819 to 1831. This short-lived republic included the territories of present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, northern Peru and northwest Brazil. The...
: Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
; Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, where it is considered the national musical style; and to a lesser extent in the mountainous regions of Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and Panamá
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. It's worth mentioning that Venezuelans refer to this style of music as: "vals" (Spanish for "Waltz").
Today, it has incorporated more Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an features of classical dance, such as Viennese waltz
Waltz
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
. As it spread during the Gran Colombia
Gran Colombia
Gran Colombia is a name used today for the state that encompassed much of northern South America and part of southern Central America from 1819 to 1831. This short-lived republic included the territories of present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, northern Peru and northwest Brazil. The...
period, pasillo also absorbed the individual characteristics of isolated villages. This gives it an eclectic feel; however, the style
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
, tone
Pitch (music)
Pitch is an auditory perceptual property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale.Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies,...
, and tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of the music differ in each village, and indeed between each country.
In its waltz, pasillo alters the classically European dance form to accompany guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, and other string instruments.
History
Invented in the 19th century, pasillo became closely associated with the Ecuadorian War of IndependenceEcuadorian War of Independence
The Ecuadorian War of Independence was fought from 1820 to 1822 between several South American armies and Spain over control of the lands of the Royal Audience of Quito, a Spanish colonial administrative jurisdiction from which would eventually emerge the modern Republic of Ecuador...
and Ecuadorian nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
.
Pasillo gained in popularity from the recordings of the duet "Ecuador", once performed by Enrique Ibañez Mora and Nicasio Safadi
Nicasio Safadi
Nicasio Safadi Reves was an Ecuadorian musician of Lebanese descent....
. It reached its apex during the career of Julio Jaramillo
Julio Jaramillo
Julio Alfredo Jaramillo Laurido was a notable Ecuadorian "Pasillo" performer. Jaramillo performed throughout Latin America where he achieved fame performing and recording boleros, valses, pasillos, tangos and rancheras. He recorded more than 4,000 songs in total.He recorded his most famous song...
.
Younger generations of Ecuadorians still enjoy pasillos.
Paillo has been a very popular style of music in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
since the 19th century. Famous Colombian Pasillos include: Espumas, Pueblito Viejo, Pescador Lucero y Rio, and Oropel. Colombian artists such as Silva y Villalba and Garzon y Collazos have helped popularize pasillo around the world.
Composers
- Julio Baba
- Enrique Espín YépezEnrique Espín YépezEnrique Espín Yépez was an Ecuadorean composer and violinist. Born in Quito, he moved to Mexico in 1969, where he established himself as a professor of Violin. He was a student of Maestro Henryk Szeryng, who declared him heir of his technique. In December 1975 Szeryng bestowed Espín with a Ceruti...
- Vicente Gómez Gudiño
- Jacobo PalmJacobo Palm-Biography:Jacobo José Maria Palm is the grandson of Jan Gerard Palm who is often referred to as the "father of Curaçao classical music". At the age of seven Jacobo Palm started to take lessons in music from his grandfather. Jacobo played several musical instruments such as piano, organ, violin,...
- José Luis Rodríguez VélezJosé Luis Rodríguez VélezJosé Luis Rodríguez Vélez was a Panamanian composer, musical director, saxophonist, clarinetist and guitarist. Author of docens of cumbias, boleros, pasillos, waltzes, dances and marches...
- Carlos Vieco
- German Dario Perez
- Oriol Rangel