Margot Loyola
Encyclopedia
Margot Loyola Palacios (born September 15, 1918 in Linares
, Chile
) is a musician
, folk
singer and research
er of the folklore
of Chile and Latin America
in general.
Loyola has been active as a musician and musical ethnographer/anthropologist for many decade
s. She has published a large body of work dealing with music
al style
s, folk music and custom
s of all Chile
an region
s as well as other South America
n countries. She has also taught music.
with Rosita Renard and Elisa Gayán at the National Conservatory of Music of Chile, and song with Blanca Hauser. In 1952 she immersed herself on the research
and learning of some typical Peru
vian dance
s and musical forms, the "marinera
" and the "resbalosa". This allowed her to study the origins of these dances and to characterize the similitudes between the Peruvian versions and the Chilean ones ("resfalosa" and "cueca
"). Subsequently, she worked with Porfirio Vásquez, the patriarch of black music in Peru, and then, she went on to study the indigenous
culture
of Peru, with José Maria Arguedas
.
Later on, Loyola studied Argentine
and Uruguay
an traditional
and folk music
, with Carlos Vega and Lauro Ayestarán, respectively. In 1952, she began her celebrated research on the ceremonial dance
s of the Chilean north, with Rogelia Perez and other musicians and groups. Loyola has researched the folklore
and traditional musical styles of all the regions of Chile
as well as Easter Island
(a Chilean province, located in the south Pacific Ocean). She has compiled and published a great deal of valuable material obtained from her scholarly research and is regarded as an artist and researcher of great authority. Among the art expressions she has researched about there have been some which were virtually rescued from oblivion and extinction
by her work.
and dance group, The Conjunto de Alumnos de Margot Loyola (Student Group of Margot Loyola), through which she effectively became an unofficial ambassadress of the Chilean culture
.
In 1972, Loyola became a Professor
of the University of Chile, and in 1998 she was made a Professor emeritus of the Catholic University of Valparaíso. She was award
ed the coveted (Chilean) National Prize of Art (mention in Music) in 1994 and the "Premio a lo Chileno" in 2001.
Linares, Chile
Linares is a Chilean city and commune located in the Maule Region and lies in the fertile Chilean Central Valley, south of Santiago and south of Talca, the regional capital...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
) is a musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer and research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
er of the folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
of Chile and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
in general.
Loyola has been active as a musician and musical ethnographer/anthropologist for many decade
Decade
A decade is a period of 10 years. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek dekas which means ten. This etymology is sometime confused with the Latin decas and dies , which is not correct....
s. She has published a large body of work dealing with music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
al 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...
s, folk music and custom
Custom
Custom may refer to:* Convention , a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted rules, norms, standards or criteria, often taking the form of a custom* Customization , anything made or modified to personal taste...
s of all Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an region
Region
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
s as well as other South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n countries. She has also taught music.
Early career
Loyola studied pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
with Rosita Renard and Elisa Gayán at the National Conservatory of Music of Chile, and song with Blanca Hauser. In 1952 she immersed herself on the research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
and learning of some typical Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
s and musical forms, the "marinera
Marinera
Marinera is a coastal dance of Peru, generally called the "National Dance of Peru." Marinera is a graceful and romantic couple's dance that uses handkerchiefs as props. The dance is an elegant and stylized reenactment of a courtship, and it shows a blend of the different cultures of Peru...
" and the "resbalosa". This allowed her to study the origins of these dances and to characterize the similitudes between the Peruvian versions and the Chilean ones ("resfalosa" and "cueca
Cueca
Cueca is a family of musical styles and associated dances from Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina. In Chile, the cueca holds the status of national dance, where it was officially selected on September 18, 1979.- Origins :...
"). Subsequently, she worked with Porfirio Vásquez, the patriarch of black music in Peru, and then, she went on to study the indigenous
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
of Peru, with José Maria Arguedas
José María Arguedas
José María Arguedas Altamirano was a Peruvian novelist, poet, and anthropologist who wrote mainly in Spanish, although some of his poetry is in Quechua...
.
Later on, Loyola studied Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an traditional
Traditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
and folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, with Carlos Vega and Lauro Ayestarán, respectively. In 1952, she began her celebrated research on the ceremonial dance
Ceremonial dance
Ceremonial dance is a major category or classification of dance forms or dance styles, where the purpose is ceremonial or ritualistic.This compares to other major dance categories based on purpose:* Celebration dance** Festival dance...
s of the Chilean north, with Rogelia Perez and other musicians and groups. Loyola has researched the folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
and traditional musical styles of all the regions of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
as well as Easter Island
Easter Island
Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people...
(a Chilean province, located in the south Pacific Ocean). She has compiled and published a great deal of valuable material obtained from her scholarly research and is regarded as an artist and researcher of great authority. Among the art expressions she has researched about there have been some which were virtually rescued from oblivion and extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
by her work.
Legacy and recognition
Loyola created Chile's first traditional musicTraditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
and dance group, The Conjunto de Alumnos de Margot Loyola (Student Group of Margot Loyola), through which she effectively became an unofficial ambassadress of the Chilean culture
Culture of Chile
The culture of Chile is one of a relatively homogeneous society where historically its geographical isolation and remoteness has played a key role...
.
In 1972, Loyola became a Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of the University of Chile, and in 1998 she was made a Professor emeritus of the Catholic University of Valparaíso. She was award
Award
An award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...
ed the coveted (Chilean) National Prize of Art (mention in Music) in 1994 and the "Premio a lo Chileno" in 2001.
Videography
- "Danzas tradicionales de Chile" (TraditionTraditionA tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
al dances of Chile), (1994) - "La ZamacuecaZamacuecaThe Zamacueca is an ancient colonial dance that originated in the Viceroyalty of Peru, taking its roots from African, Spanish, and Andean rhythms...
" (1999) - "Los del Estribo: Cantos y Danzas Populares de Chile", (2001)
Discography
- 14 LPsGramophone recordA gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
, 6 cassettesCompact CassetteThe Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
and 7 CDs, in addition to other editions in various other countries