Tamborito
Encyclopedia
El Tamborito, literally translated to “the Little Drum”, is a genre of Panama
nian folkloric music
and dance
dating back as early as the 17th century. The Tamborito is the national song and dance of Panama. The dance is a romantic, couple’s dance, often involving a small percussion ensemble, and in all versions; a female chorus. The Tamborito is performed in formal costume
s in front of large, interactive crowds that form a large circle around the performers. The members of such crowds often participate in the percussion of the song as well as the actual dance itself. The Tamborito is most commonly performed during Panamanian festivals, and in particular, the Panama Carnival.
dance and folkloric music, with the melody
tracing its roots as far back as the seventeenth century. This genre of folkloric music is a hybrid-mix of the Spanish
, India
n and Africa
n cultures. The rhythm of the Tamborito is of African influence, lyrics tend to be repetitive and, as in West African vocal music
, also incorporate popular commentary . Panama’s most famous Tamborito was written in 1918 by Juan Pastor Peredes, put to music by Carmen Lagnon, entitled El tamborito de la alegria.
s, the stomping of feet, the clapping of hands, and the chanting of harmonic poems, called coplas
. Vocally, the Tamborito is led by a female singer, the cantalante, who sings of the lust
, frustration, and sexual tension
and attraction felt between the men and women at carnival
. The onlooking spectators and awaiting group of performers, known as the estribillio, respond to the cantalante’s song by clapping twice to a measure and by the singing of the copla. Coplas are Spanish poems, which are sung lyrically, and comprise of four line stanza
s.
The percussion involved in the Tamborito consists of three drums located in the center of the circle created by the estribillio. There are three drums, native to Panama, used in the performance of the Tamborito: the “Caja”, the “Pujas” and the “Repicador”. All of these drums are from the hollowing of local, Panamanian, trees, with the heads constructed from tanned cowhide
.
The drums represent the three primary aspects of the Tamborito. The Caja is the smallest of the drums used in the Tamborito. The Caja is a short, wide drum used to create staccato
tones, much like those created by the estribillio. The Pujas is the masculine aspect of the Tamborito, as this drum creates the base. The Pujas is a long, slender drum. The Repicador is the final, feminine, aspect of the Tamborito. The Repicador is similar in shape to the Pujas, however the Repicador creates high-pitched notes that are scaled to fit the rhythm.
As the female and male dancers take their places within the circle the Repicador drummer will giver a signal to the dancers in the form of three knocks. In response, the female dancer will give the percussion band three curtsey
s, known as quiebres, the last of which results in a twirling of the dancers body. The male dancer will kneel three times, known as the golpes magistrales, thus beginning the Tamborito dance.
The dance is a series of shuffling steps, with the woman maneuvering her skirt in a provocative fashion and the man positioning his arms in a protecting fashion. At the conclusion of the dance, the Repicador drummer again gives three knocks, the male and female dancers curtsey once more and the crowd gives there approval of the dance in the form of a “Vivas” chant.
known as La Pollera, and the men wear a costume called El Montuno.
The Pollera is a gown only worn on festival occasions and consists of two ruffle
s, embroidered with colors and intricate designs, two pom-poms are fastened to the front and rear of the woman’s chest with lace
gracefully draped from handmade thread lace insertion at the neckline. The stitching and thread used to detail the Pollera must be the same color as the velvet
, heel-less shoes. The women’s outfit is completed with gold hairpin
s and a flashy headpiece
, which is supposed to resemble a crown. The headpiece is commonly made of shell.
The Montuno worn by the male performers is much less intricate than the Pollera worn by the female performers. The Montuno generally consists of long sleeved, white collared shirt, which fits loosely on the performer. The trousers worn by the male are made of black, navy or white cotton and come to knee length. The outfit is completed with a shallow straw hat and canvas or leather shoes.
of Panama, and has created such Panamanian celebrities as Sammy and Sandra Sandoval.
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...
nian folkloric 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....
and dance
Folk dance
The term folk dance describes dances that share some or all of the following attributes:*They are dances performed at social functions by people with little or no professional training, often to traditional music or music based on traditional music....
dating back as early as the 17th century. The Tamborito is the national song and dance of Panama. The dance is a romantic, couple’s dance, often involving a small percussion ensemble, and in all versions; a female chorus. The Tamborito is performed in formal costume
Costume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...
s in front of large, interactive crowds that form a large circle around the performers. The members of such crowds often participate in the percussion of the song as well as the actual dance itself. The Tamborito is most commonly performed during Panamanian festivals, and in particular, the Panama Carnival.
History
The Tamborito is a derivative of mestizoMestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
dance and folkloric music, with the melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
tracing its roots as far back as the seventeenth century. This genre of folkloric music is a hybrid-mix of the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n cultures. The rhythm of the Tamborito is of African influence, lyrics tend to be repetitive and, as in West African vocal music
Vocal music
Vocal music is a genre of music performed by one or more singers, with or without instrumental accompaniment, in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but does not feature it prominently is generally considered instrumental music Vocal music is a genre of...
, also incorporate popular commentary . Panama’s most famous Tamborito was written in 1918 by Juan Pastor Peredes, put to music by Carmen Lagnon, entitled El tamborito de la alegria.
Musical Composition
The Tamborito is musically performed to the beat of drumDrum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, the stomping of feet, the clapping of hands, and the chanting of harmonic poems, called coplas
Copla (meter)
The copla is a poetic form of four verses that provides found in many Spanish popular songs as well as in Spanish language literature. There is a related musical genre of the same name. The form is also found widely in Latin America...
. Vocally, the Tamborito is led by a female singer, the cantalante, who sings of the lust
Lust
Lust is an emotional force that is directly associated with the thinking or fantasizing about one's desire, usually in a sexual way.-Etymology:The word lust is phonetically similar to the ancient Roman lustrum, which literally meant "purification"...
, frustration, and sexual tension
Sexual tension
Sexual tension is a social phenomenon that occurs when two people interact and one or both feel sexual desire, but the consummation is postponed or never happens....
and attraction felt between the men and women at carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
. The onlooking spectators and awaiting group of performers, known as the estribillio, respond to the cantalante’s song by clapping twice to a measure and by the singing of the copla. Coplas are Spanish poems, which are sung lyrically, and comprise of four line stanza
Stanza
In poetry, a stanza is a unit within a larger poem. In modern poetry, the term is often equivalent with strophe; in popular vocal music, a stanza is typically referred to as a "verse"...
s.
The percussion involved in the Tamborito consists of three drums located in the center of the circle created by the estribillio. There are three drums, native to Panama, used in the performance of the Tamborito: the “Caja”, the “Pujas” and the “Repicador”. All of these drums are from the hollowing of local, Panamanian, trees, with the heads constructed from tanned cowhide
Cowhide
Cowhide is the natural, unbleached skin and hair of a cow. It retains the original coloring of the animal. Cowhides are a natural product/by-product of the food industry from cattle. Cowhide can also be processed into a leather, which can be used to make such things as shoes, wallets and leather...
.
The drums represent the three primary aspects of the Tamborito. The Caja is the smallest of the drums used in the Tamborito. The Caja is a short, wide drum used to create staccato
Staccato
Staccato is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation it signifies a note of shortened duration and separated from the note that may follow by silence...
tones, much like those created by the estribillio. The Pujas is the masculine aspect of the Tamborito, as this drum creates the base. The Pujas is a long, slender drum. The Repicador is the final, feminine, aspect of the Tamborito. The Repicador is similar in shape to the Pujas, however the Repicador creates high-pitched notes that are scaled to fit the rhythm.
Tamborito Dance
The dance of the Tamborito is one between a man and a woman couple. The dance is of a sexual nature, often referred to as a courting dance, and begins with the clapping of the crowd and playing of the playing of the percussion band.As the female and male dancers take their places within the circle the Repicador drummer will giver a signal to the dancers in the form of three knocks. In response, the female dancer will give the percussion band three curtsey
Curtsey
A curtsey is a traditional gesture of greeting, in which a girl or woman bends her knees while bowing her head. It is the female equivalent of male bowing in Western cultures...
s, known as quiebres, the last of which results in a twirling of the dancers body. The male dancer will kneel three times, known as the golpes magistrales, thus beginning the Tamborito dance.
The dance is a series of shuffling steps, with the woman maneuvering her skirt in a provocative fashion and the man positioning his arms in a protecting fashion. At the conclusion of the dance, the Repicador drummer again gives three knocks, the male and female dancers curtsey once more and the crowd gives there approval of the dance in the form of a “Vivas” chant.
Tamborito Attire
The attire worn by the performers during the Tamborito is quite elegant and flashy. The women wear an embroidered gownGown
A gown is a loose outer garment from knee- to full-length worn by men and women in Europe from the early Middle Ages to the 17th century ; later, gown was applied to any woman's garment consisting of a bodice and attached skirt.A long, loosely-fitted gown called a Banyan was worn by men in the 18th...
known as La Pollera, and the men wear a costume called El Montuno.
The Pollera is a gown only worn on festival occasions and consists of two ruffle
Ruffle
In sewing and dressmaking, a ruffle, frill, or furbelow is a strip of fabric, lace or ribbon tightly gathered or pleated on one edge and applied to a garment, bedding, or other textile as a form of trimming...
s, embroidered with colors and intricate designs, two pom-poms are fastened to the front and rear of the woman’s chest with lace
Lace
Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric. Lace-making is an ancient craft. True lace was...
gracefully draped from handmade thread lace insertion at the neckline. The stitching and thread used to detail the Pollera must be the same color as the velvet
Velvet
Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed,with a short dense pile, giving it a distinctive feel.The word 'velvety' is used as an adjective to mean -"smooth like velvet".-Composition:...
, heel-less shoes. The women’s outfit is completed with gold hairpin
Hairpin
A hair pin or hairpin is a long device used to hold a person's hair in place.Hairpins made of metal, ivory, bronze, carved wood, etc. were used in ancient Assyria and Egypt for securing decorated hairstyles. Such hairpins suggest, as graves show, that many were luxury objects among the Egyptians...
s and a flashy headpiece
Headpiece
Headpiece can refer to:*A typically thin metallic crown, headband, or tiara worn around the forehead. Commonly worn by ancient rulers, such as Cleopatra, headpieces usually carry some emblem of religious or political significance....
, which is supposed to resemble a crown. The headpiece is commonly made of shell.
The Montuno worn by the male performers is much less intricate than the Pollera worn by the female performers. The Montuno generally consists of long sleeved, white collared shirt, which fits loosely on the performer. The trousers worn by the male are made of black, navy or white cotton and come to knee length. The outfit is completed with a shallow straw hat and canvas or leather shoes.
Tamborito in Popular Culture
Besides being the national song and dance of Panama, the Tamborito is important to Panamanian culture because folkloric music plays a continuous role in Panama’s contemporary music. The Tamborito genre of music competes for radio and record sales with the other popular musicPopular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
of Panama, and has created such Panamanian celebrities as Sammy and Sandra Sandoval.