Tuesday 16 February 2010

Candombe Music and its roots: the slavery in Uruguay

Beat the drums to feel candombe deeply inside!
Candombe was brought from Africa, every group has three different types of drums because each one produces its own sound: the CHICO is the little one, it has the most static rythm, the REPIQUE is middle sized, and its freedom enables sounds variety; the PIANO is the biggest, is the one giving the bass sound. This is the guiding drum. In some ocations it also made improvise the repique does. The drum (TAMBORIL)hang from the shoulder and it is very common to play it while walking. This kind of music came from the times when slaves were brought into Montevideo City when the Spanish Colonial Period.
In Plata River the principle activity was a comercial place, but Montevideo Port was declared the only harbour for bringing slaves in 1787. On that year the Philipins Real Company got the complete rights to do so; from here they were delivered mostly to Brasil (sugar cane) and Buenos Aires.
In Montevideo Colonial City into the wall was possible to see between home slaves who came to bed close to family members and had a better treatment than the other that had to live in other stablishment in countryside ranchs(estancias), and where given the hardest labors and lived in very difficult conditions.
The slavery started to be rejected by young people by the end of XVIII Century because it was contrary to the Human Rights and Citizen Declaration that was aproved by US and French Revolutions. In 1795 sixty slaves scaped and hidden in an island at Yi River. There they founded an Independed Republic called "Freedom, Equality, Fraternity" with the leadership of a man called Miguel.
Lots of black people joined Artigas Revolution in 1811, (our National Hero who fight against the Spaniard to get our Independence). In September 1825 the Florida Assembly decided and voted for a law of free birth. In 1837 forbide the slaves traffic , but the abolition came with the "Guerra Grande" (the Big War in 1842).
Montevideo government was needing soldiers for fighting against the soldiers who were siting the city then declared that everyone in age of doing it could join the Army.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Candombe Music. This reminded me of my last visit to Uruguay. Raquel was our tour guide around Montevideo. She was quite charming and very knowledgeable.

Our family lives around San Francisco, California, USA and thanks to Raquel, we got to see the real and exciting parts of Montevideo. Please visit Uruguay ... the waterfront walks (la rambla) are beautiful and in fact, in this part, more beautiful to me than San Francisco.

When we return, we will be sure to have Raquel to arrange helping us for part of our trip !

Plaza Fuerte Hotel

Plaza Fuerte Hotel
In Old Town Neighbourhood, your best place to stay.....