The Music of
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...
contains a mixture of
European,
Indigenous
Indigenous may refer to:
*Indigenous peoples
*Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention
*Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band
*Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...
, and
African influences. Occasionally, it also rarely features
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
and
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
musical influences as well as from other countries of
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
and
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
origin.
Musical instruments include the
marimba
The marimba () is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the timbre ...
and others that are common across
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
.
Pop music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former descri ...
includes performers from all around the world including
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...
ns,
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
ns,
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
ians,
Mexicans,
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
nians, as well as those from
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.
Nicaraguan
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...
s enjoy their local artist's music but also enjoy music from around the world. They enjoy the Dominican Republic's
bachata and
merengue, Jamaica's
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
, Puerto Rico's
salsa
Salsa most often refers to:
* Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments
* Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music
* Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music
Salsa or SALSA may also refer to:
...
and
reggaeton
Reggaeton (, ), also known as reggaetón and reguetón (), is a music style that originated in Panama during the late 1980s. It was later popularized in Puerto Rico.
It has evolved from dancehall and has been influenced by American hip hop, ...
and Colombia's
Cumbia
Cumbia refers to a number of musical rhythms and folk dance traditions of Latin America, generally involving musical and cultural elements from American Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans during colonial times, and Europeans. Examples include:
...
among other genres including
pop. Among the younger crowds,
heavy metal and
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
have become very popular.
Styles of music
Nicaraguan music is a mixture of different cultures from indigenous tribes, European conquerors, and slaves. Styles of music vary throughout the different regions in the country. In the Caribbean coast music with African and indigenous influence are heard, in the Pacific coast the music is considered to be a mixture of the indigenous and Spanish culture and in the North/Central region of Nicaragua the music has more of a European flavor, this is because of the significant wave of Europeans, mostly Germans, that live in the region. European influenced dances like the
polka and
Mazurka are also danced in this region.
The
Caribbean coast of Nicaragua is known for its
Palo de Mayo, which is a lively and sensual form of
dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded da ...
that is especially loud and celebrated during the Palo de Mayo festival. The
Garifuna
The Garifuna people ( or ; pl. Garínagu in Garifuna) are a people of mixed free African and indigenous American ancestry that originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language, and Vincentian ...
community exists in Nicaragua and is known for its popular music called
Punta
Punta is an Afro-indigenous dance and cultural music originating in the Caribbean Island of Saint Vincent And The Grenadines by the Garifuna people before being exiled from the island. Which is also known as Yurumei. It has African and Arawak ...
. Also,
Soca,
Reggaeton
Reggaeton (, ), also known as reggaetón and reguetón (), is a music style that originated in Panama during the late 1980s. It was later popularized in Puerto Rico.
It has evolved from dancehall and has been influenced by American hip hop, ...
and
Reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
is popular throughout the country.
Rhythms like the
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 ...
became essential to writers in the post-war scenario of the 70s and 80s. Writers used trova to express social injustice, their hope for a better tomorrow, patriotism, and ecological conservation. This, in time, became a rhythm used in artistic Nicaraguan creations, and it therefore also became part of the culture. Well known in this category is
Duo Guardabarranco, formed by the brothers Salvador and
Katia Cardenal.
Another popular musical genre in Nicaragua is the
Chicheros, often consisting of a trumpet and trombone or other brass instruments, with additional musicians playing various percussions. This is often to be heard in private parties around the country.
Instruments
The
marimba
The marimba () is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the timbre ...
of Nicaragua distinguishes itself from the other forms of marimba in Central America by the way it is played. Nicaragua's marimba is played by a sitting performer holding the instrument on his knees. They are usually accompanied by a bass
fiddle,
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...
and
guitarrilla (a small guitar similar to a
mandolin). This music is played at social functions as a sort of background music. The marimba is made with hardwood plates, placed over
bamboo
Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...
or metal tubes of varying lengths. It is played with two or four
hammers.
Theater
Indigenous theater groups performed with music and dance. Theatrical manifestations include the
Elegant Knights of Huaco Bull and the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
proclaimed masterpiece, "
El Güegüense", among many others.
Nicaraguans in Music
One of the most prominent composers from Nicaragua is the leonés musician
José de la Cruz Mena
José de la Cruz Mena (3 May 187422 September 1907) was a Nicaraguan composer. When he was twenty-one years old he contracted leprosy, but continued to compose until his death twelve years later. Mena is considered to have been one of the most pr ...
(1874-1907). He wrote a variety of romantic waltzes that display sounds inspired by common and daily experiences, or natural scenarios. Among those compositions, we found titles such as "El Nacatamal," "Los Turcos," and "Ruinas." Besides, Mena's pieces are evocative of biblical characters and love relationship; titles like "Amores de Abraham," "Bonita Margarita," "Rosalía" are part of the most representative ones. By the time, Mena gathered popularity and influenced composers from different countries of the Americas; additionally, in the late 1800s, his name reached Asia and Europe particularly Germany and Italy inspiring Giacomo Puccini's opera ''La Boheme''.
Another relevant composer is
Luis Abraham Delgadillo, with several symphonies, stage works, orchestral pieces, chamber music, songs, and piano music to his credit, and
Camilo Zapata, creator of the ''Nicaraguan Sound''. Erwin Krüger, creator of ''Barrio de Pescadores'' (Fisherman's District). Justo Santos creator of ''La Mora Limpia'' (A Clean Coffee Bean), considered Nicaragua's popular anthem.
Other prominent national musicians, groups, and songwriters include
Lía Barrios, Marcio Brenes Mejía from Somoto, Nicaragua,
Katia Cardenal,
Salvador Cardenal,
Marina Cárdenas,
Dimension Costeña,
Norma Helena Gadea,
Macolla,
Carlos Mejía Godoy
Carlos Mejía Godoy (born June 27, 1943) is a Nicaraguan musician (accordion), composer and singer. He was born in Somoto, Madriz. Son of Carlos Mejía Fajardo and María Elsa Godoy, his brother Luis Enrique Mejía Godoy, three years younger tha ...
,
Luis Enrique Mejía Godoy
Luis Enrique Mejía López (born September 28, 1962) is a Nicaraguan singer-songwriter. He is known as "El Príncipe de la Salsa" (''The Prince of Salsa''). He achieved widespread success with the single " Yo No Sé Mañana".
Early life and ...
, Luis Enrique Mejía López (known as
Luis Enrique
Luis Enrique Martínez García (; born 8 May 1970), known as Luis Enrique, is a Spanish football manager and former player.
A versatile player with good technique, he was capable of playing in several different positions, but usually played as ...
),
Los Mokuanes,
Sergio Tapia, and
Hernaldo Zúñiga
Hernaldo Zúñiga (born June 2, 1955) is a Nicaraguan singer-songwriter. He was born in Managua, but spent his childhood and adolescence in Masaya.
Career
While he was studying in Chile, in 1973, Zúñiga recorded his first 45 rpm single with ...
.
Of the younger generation of Nicaraguan singer-songwriters there are a few notable such as Latin Grammy Nominee
Ramón Armando Mejía (
Perrozompopo),
Arturo Vaughan,
Moisés Gadea,
Juan Montenegro,
Junior Escobar,
Elsa Basil,
Cecilia Ferrer,
Alejandro Carlos Mejía,
Clara Grun,
Noel Portocarrero,
Duo Guardabarranco,
Juan Solorzano, and
Marcio Brenes JR. Also, rock bands such as Necrosis,
Grupo Armado, Crisis,
Monroy y Surmenage,
Mano de Vidrio,
Contrapeso,
Q69K,
Kerfodermo,
Resistencia,
Carga Cerrada and
Cecilia & The Argonauts.
Hip Hop and
Reggaeton
Reggaeton (, ), also known as reggaetón and reguetón (), is a music style that originated in Panama during the late 1980s. It was later popularized in Puerto Rico.
It has evolved from dancehall and has been influenced by American hip hop, ...
artist include
Torombolo
Carlos Callejas (born September 17, 1985 in Granada, Nicaragua) better known as Torombolo is a reggaeton and hip hop singer with "Camillion Entertainment ''Latino''".
Early life
Torombolo grew up in Granada, Nicaragua mainly raised by his mothe ...
,
J Smooth,
Mr. Meli,
Nello Style,
Nica
Nica or NICA may refer to:
* Nīca, a village in Latvia
* Nica, the name in some languages of Nice, a French city
* Nica is an adjective which may refer to:
** Nicaragua
** Nicaraguan people
* Nica Airlines, an alternate name for Nicaragüense de ...
and
Lingo Nicoya.
Nicaragua's Caribbean coast is home to prominent
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
singers and groups such as
Philip Montalban,
Carlos de Nicaragua,
Kali Boom,
Warrior Street (Singer),
Sabu,
Sabu Sr. and
Osberto Jerez y los Gregory's.
Also notable instrumentalists such as guitarists
Tony Melendez,
Arturo Vaughan,
Roberto Vaughan,
Eduardo Araica,
Omar Suazo,
Arnulfo Oviedo,
Saulo Pérez, and Andrés Sánchez, marimba player
Carlos Luis Mejia, drummers
Jorge Lanzas,
Bikentios Chávez,
Matute,
Johnny Metralla,
Henry Palacios, and
percussionist
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
José Areas
José Octavio "Chepito" Areas Dávila (born 25 July 1946) is a Nicaraguan percussionist best known for having played timbales and Conga drums in the Latin rock group Santana in 1969–1977 and 1987–1989. In 1998, he was inducted into the Roc ...
who was inducted in the
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music an ...
with the band
Santana
Santana may refer to:
Transportation
* Volkswagen Santana, an automobile
* Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles
* Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer
Boats
* Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...
.
References
[CAMPOS FONSECA, Susan: "Historia compensatoria y Filosofía: Un caso centroamericano", en BABAB, Nº33, verano, España, 2008, ISSN · 1575-9385. Disponible en: http://www.babab.com/no33/susan_campos.php]
External links
{{North America topic, Music of
Nicaraguan music,