Criolla is a genre of

Cuban Cuban may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean * Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent ** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof * Cuban citizen, a perso ...

music which is closely related to the music of the Cuban

Coros de Clave ''Coros de clave'' were popular choral groups that emerged at the end of the 19th century in Havana and other Cuban cities. Their style was influenced by the ''orfeones'' which grew popular in northern Spain in the mid-19th century, and their pop ...

and a genre of Cuban popular music called Clave. The Clave became a very popular genre in the Cuban vernacular theater and was created by composer Jorge Anckermann based on the style of the

. The Clave served, in turn, as a model for the creation of a new genre called Criolla. According to musicologist Helio Orovio, "Carmela", the first Criolla, was composed by Luis Casas Romero in 1909, which also created one of the most famous Criollas of all times, "El Mambí". Like the Clave and the

Guajira (music) Guajira is a music genre derived from the punto cubano. According to some specialists, the punto cubano was known in Spain since the 18th century, where it was called "punto de La Habana", and by the second half of the 19th century it was adopt ...

, the formal structure of the Criolla consist of a brief introduction, followed by two sections of 16 measures each. The first one in a minor tone, and the second one in its major direct relative. The essential rhythm of the Criolla is the same as the one of the Clave, the Vertical

Hemiola In music, hemiola (also hemiolia) is the ratio 3:2. The equivalent Latin term is sesquialtera. In rhythm, ''hemiola'' refers to three beats of equal value in the time normally occupied by two beats. In pitch, ''hemiola'' refers to the interval of ...

, which appears consistently in the base part of those songs. 3 over 2

The Cuban traditional

Trova ''Trova'' is a style of Cuban popular music originating in the 19th century. Trova was created by itinerant musicians known as ''trovadores'' who travelled around Cuba's Oriente province, especially Santiago de Cuba, and earned their living by s ...

singers also adopted the Clave and Criolla genres, which became part of their repertoire. Some famous composers of Criollas were:

Jorge Anckermann Jorge Anckermann (22 March 1877 – 3 February 1941) was a Cuban pianist, composer and bandleader. Havana-born, he started in music at eight with his father. At age ten he was able to substitute in a trio. In 1892, he went to Mexico as musica ...

(''Linda criolla''), Alberto Villalón (''Quiero besarte'') and

Sindo Garay Sindo Garay (born Antonio Gumersindo Garay García; Santiago de Cuba, 12 April 1867 – Havana, 17 July 1968) was a Cuban trova musician. He was taught by Pepe Sánchez. Garay was one of the ''four greats of the trova''. He was of Spanish a ...

(''Mujer bayamesa''). In spite of the fact that the basic structure of the

, the Clave and the Criolla is almost identical, it is possible to observe a certain style evolution that may suggest a possible relationship in the development of those three genres. For example, the rhythmic pattern of the Vertical

does not appear in the first versions of the

, so therefore it may have been included at a later time, maybe due to the influence of the

. Also the modulation style from a minor to a major mode, which already appears in the famous

"El arroyo que murmura" by Jorge Anckermann, varies in the posterior Criollas of

dores Sindo Garay and Manuel Corona, in which they utilize much more complex modulations than in previous versions.Rodríguez Ruidíaz, Armando: La metodología de los "Complejos Genéricos" y el análisis de la música popular cubana autóctona.2017, p. 17

References

See also