Tamborera
Encyclopedia
Tamborera is an Afro-Venezuelan folk genre of music that features rich use of the tambora drum in carrying the main beat
. It emerged in the state of Zulia
in western Venezuela
, most notably in the region surrounding Maracaibo Lake. The prominence of the tambora drum and other percussive derivatives of African instruments, such as the furro and charrasca, are indicative of the Iberian
and African
influences on the tamborera, while the tropical rhythms that pervade throughout this style of music represent the influence of the Caribbean
culture that is prominent in this part of Venezuela
. The tamborera has also spread into many other styles, and tamborera rhythms underlie many of those found in Afro-Cuban
genres of music.
The tamborera is based on the gaita de tambora, which is from the South of Maracaibo Lake . The gaita de tambora, whose origins have never been established with certainty , plays a part in the holiday celebrations from December 26 to January 6 in Maracaibo
, so it was presumably born out of the calls of religion. Early forms of the gaita de tambora combined chants of Mass
taught by Catholic missionaries
with the percussion
of drums, the characteristic guttural sound of the furro, charrasca, and maracas, representing the Iberian contributions to the music . The subsequent performance by the natives of Zulia State brought a definitive style to the new music. With the introduction of African slaves
to the estates and plantations of Zulia
in the 19th century, the gaita de tambora was given heavy African aspects by those slaves who used the music to protest as well as to evoke the celebrations and traditions they brought to Venezuela
from their native African lands. By mixing the tropical rhythms of the neighboring Caribbean
musical culture with the amalgam of Iberian, African, and indigenous Zulia
n musical cultures already present in the gaita de tambora, the tamborera was born.
, which consist of several characteristic instruments: tamboras, furro, charrasca, and maracas .
Apart from percussion, other core instruments are the guitar and piano. Depending on the performing artist, other melodic instruments, such as the trumpets and trombones can be used as accompaniment as well. Tamborera music typically features a vocalist as well.
undertones of the tamborera, this genre is musically different from its ancestral gaita de tambora or other gaita
s. Tamborera music generally utilizes a 4/4 time signature
, but this is prone to waver with great usage of syncopation. The four percussion instrument
s (tamboras, furro, charrasca, maracas) layer several different rhythmic patterns together at the same time, but it is always the tamboras that lay down the foundation of the tamborera by providing the main beat
.
Beat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
. It emerged in the state of Zulia
Zulia
Zulia State is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is Maracaibo. In June 30, 2010, it had an estimated population of 3,821,068, giving it the largest population among Venezuela's states. It is located in the northwestern part of the country...
in western 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...
, most notably in the region surrounding Maracaibo Lake. The prominence of the tambora drum and other percussive derivatives of African instruments, such as the furro and charrasca, are indicative of the Iberian
Music of Spain
The Music of Spain has a long history and has played an important part in the development of western music. It has had a particularly strong influence upon Latin American music. The music of Spain is often associated abroad with traditions like flamenco and the classical guitar but Spanish music...
and African
Music of Africa
Africa is a vast continent and its regions and nations have distinct musical traditions. The music of North Africa for the most part has a different history from sub-Saharan African music traditions....
influences on the tamborera, while the tropical rhythms that pervade throughout this style of music represent the influence of the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
culture that is prominent in this part 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...
. The tamborera has also spread into many other styles, and tamborera rhythms underlie many of those found in Afro-Cuban
Afro-Cuban
The term Afro-Cuban refers to Cubans of Sub Saharan African ancestry, and to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community...
genres of music.
History of the Tamborera
Maracaibo
Maracaibo is a city and municipality located in northwestern Venezuela off the western coast of the Lake Maracaibo. It is the second-largest city in the country after the national capital Caracas and the capital of Zulia state...
, so it was presumably born out of the calls of religion. Early forms of the gaita de tambora combined chants of Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
taught by Catholic missionaries
Catholic missions
As the church normally organizes itself along territorial lines, and because they had the human and material resources, religious orders—some even specializing in it—undertook most missionary work, especially in the early phases...
with the percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
of drums, the characteristic guttural sound of the furro, charrasca, and maracas, representing the Iberian contributions to the music . The subsequent performance by the natives of Zulia State brought a definitive style to the new music. With the introduction of African slaves
African slave trade
Systems of servitude and slavery were common in many parts of Africa, as they were in much of the ancient world. In some African societies, the enslaved people were also indentured servants and fully integrated; in others, they were treated much worse...
to the estates and plantations of Zulia
Zulia
Zulia State is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is Maracaibo. In June 30, 2010, it had an estimated population of 3,821,068, giving it the largest population among Venezuela's states. It is located in the northwestern part of the country...
in the 19th century, the gaita de tambora was given heavy African aspects by those slaves who used the music to protest as well as to evoke the celebrations and traditions they brought to 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...
from their native African lands. By mixing the tropical rhythms of the neighboring Caribbean
Caribbean music
The music of the Caribbean is a diverse grouping of musical genres. They are each syntheses of African, European, Indian and native influences, largely created by descendants of African slaves...
musical culture with the amalgam of Iberian, African, and indigenous Zulia
Zulia
Zulia State is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is Maracaibo. In June 30, 2010, it had an estimated population of 3,821,068, giving it the largest population among Venezuela's states. It is located in the northwestern part of the country...
n musical cultures already present in the gaita de tambora, the tamborera was born.
Instrumentation
The most important instruments in tamborera music are the percussionPercussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, which consist of several characteristic instruments: tamboras, furro, charrasca, and maracas .
Lyricism
Tamborera lyrics are structured to include three verses and a chorus, with each line made up of eight syllables. Initially written about the daily life of people in nature, tamborera lyrics now range from simple phrases and words, like "tamborera" repeated with little creativity, to romantic love songs, to radical verses of protest.Rhythm
Because of the tropical CaribbeanCaribbean music
The music of the Caribbean is a diverse grouping of musical genres. They are each syntheses of African, European, Indian and native influences, largely created by descendants of African slaves...
undertones of the tamborera, this genre is musically different from its ancestral gaita de tambora or other gaita
Gaita
Gaita may refer to:Musical instruments*Various types of bagpipes common to Spain and Portugal such as:** Gaita asturiana, a bagpipe used in the Spanish provinces of Asturias, northern León and western Cantabria...
s. Tamborera music generally utilizes a 4/4 time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
, but this is prone to waver with great usage of syncopation. The four percussion instrument
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
s (tamboras, furro, charrasca, maracas) layer several different rhythmic patterns together at the same time, but it is always the tamboras that lay down the foundation of the tamborera by providing the main beat
Beat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
.
Some Artists of Tamborera Music
- Jose Luis Moran
- Rozenda Bernal
- Gran CoquivacoaGran CoquivacoaGran Coquivacoa is a Venezuelan gaita zuliana group founded in 1968, by Jesús Bocachico Petit, Nelson Suárez, Rody Tigrera, Pedro Arteaga and Manolo Salazar, at the city of Cabimas, Zulia State)....
is a Venezuelan Gaita Zuliana group that released numerous albums featuring the tamborera as well as the gaita de tambora. - GuacoGuaco (band)Tropical music band from Venezuela that was formed in Maracaibo by Mario Viloria and Gustavo Aguado, Zulia in 1968. Mario retired after being the main founder because of college studies but during his participation in the group he was the main composer for several years and his home was the main...
, initially a gaita band from MaracaiboMaracaiboMaracaibo is a city and municipality located in northwestern Venezuela off the western coast of the Lake Maracaibo. It is the second-largest city in the country after the national capital Caracas and the capital of Zulia state...
, added a more tropical Afro-CubanAfro-CubanThe term Afro-Cuban refers to Cubans of Sub Saharan African ancestry, and to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community...
vibe to the tamborera. The group soon merged other genres like popPop musicPop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, jazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, and funkFunkFunk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
to create a completely novel face to the genre.