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Pasodoble (
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
: ''double step'') is a fast-paced Spanish military march used by infantry troops. Its speed allowed troops to give 120 steps per minute (double the average of a regular unit, hence its name). This military march gave rise recently to a modern Spanish
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
, a musical genre including both voice and instruments, and a genre of instrumental music often played during
bullfight
Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations.
There are several variations, including some forms wh ...
. Both the dance and the non martial compositions are also called pasodoble.
Structure
All pasodobles have
binary rhythm. Its musical structure consists of an introduction based on the dominant chord of the piece, followed by a first fragment based on the main tone and a second part, called "the trío", based on the sub-dominant note, based yet again on the dominant chord. Each change is preceded by a brieph. The last segment of the pasodoble is usually "the trío" strongly played.
The different types of pasodoble- popular, taurino, militar- can vary in rhythm, with the taurine pasodobles being the slowest and the popular being faster and often incorporating voice.
Pasodoble as we know it started in Spain but is now played in a wide variety of Hispanic nations. Each region has developed its own subgenre and personal style of pasodoble, adjusting some formal aspects of the structure to fit their local musical tradition.
In modern Spain, the most prolific composition of pasodobles is happening in the Levantine coast, associated to the festivals of
Moors and Christians.
In the dance form is very free regarding figures. The dancers must remain one in front of the other, and keep their bodies parallel to each other at all times, lining slightly to the left. They must give one step per tempo. The left hand of the male and the right hand of the woman must remain united almost permanently. Besides this, almost all motions and figures are accepted, which allows space for dramatization. The dance can be similar to the one-step, except for the speed and number of steps given.
History
The origin of this passionate form of music is disputed.
The facts known about it due to physical historical evidence are that it was being written as early as the 18th century, since Spain has pasodoble scores dating back to 1780; that it was incorporated into comedies and adopted as a regulatory step for the Spanish infantry; and that the music was not introduced into bullfights until the 19th century.
One hypothesis suggests, based on the etymology of the name, that it comes from the French "pas-redouble", a form of speedy march of the French infantry during the late 18th century. It is calimed to have both Spanish and French characteristics. The modern steps often contain French terms, but the dance resembles the nature of the bullfight. It is said to have emerged from southern French culture during the 1930s. Supporters of this hypothesis, mostly French musicologists, suggested that pasodoble was a way for the French to portray the techniques used in Spanish bullfights. This hypothesis neglects to explain the presence of scores dating from 1780, that Spanish infantry already marched at doble speed before the French army did and French musicologist usually refers the bullfight-related movements or themes, peculiarity that does not make sense since in Spain it was associated with bullfighting a long time later.
A hypothesis based on the dance's free figures and rhythm states that its binary rhythm and moderated movement points to an origin in traditional Spanish music and dances of the early 16th century. These dances, developed around 1538, were a gradual combination of Castillian music and dance (seguidillas) with the "garrotín", a fast and repetitive Romani couples dance, adapted into a march form.
Famous musicologists José Subirá considers that the origin of the tune was a combination of military marches and light music from Spanish popular theater that gradually permeated the "entremeses" of more respectable plays.
Others
Famous bullfighters have been honored with pasodoble tunes named for them. Other tunes have been inspired by patriotic motifs or local characters. The pasodoble is well-known and used today for dance competitions.
During the early 20th century, the pasodoble became part of the repertoire of
Italian American
Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan areas, ...
musicians in San Francisco playing in the ''
ballo liscio Liscio or ballo liscio ("smooth" or "smooth dance" respectively in Italian) is a genre of music originating in the 19th century in the northern Italian region of Romagna under the influence of Viennese ballroom dances including the mazurka, waltz, ...
'' style. Four pasodobles were collected by
Sidney Robertson Cowell
Sidney Robertson Cowell (born Sidney William Hawkins; June 2, 1903 – February 23, 1995) was an American ethnomusicologist, collector of folk songs, and the wife of the composer Henry Cowell.
Life and career
She was born on June 2, 1903, ...
for the
WPA
WPA may refer to:
Computing
*Wi-Fi Protected Access, a wireless encryption standard
*Windows Product Activation, in Microsoft software licensing
* Wireless Public Alerting (Alert Ready), emergency alerts over LTE in Canada
* Windows Performance An ...
California Folk Music Project in 1939 by
Mexican American wedding party band on
mandolin
A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...
,
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 stri ...
, and
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
.
Types of pasodoble
By objective
March pasodoble
Also called "military pasodoble", it was created as, or keeps its role as, an infantry march. It is usually fast and lacks lyrics. Famous examples are "Soldadito español", "El Abanico", "Los nardos", "Las Corsarias" or " Los Voluntarios"
Taurine pasodoble
Often played during bullfights, or with that intense atmosphere in mind. They are slowed and more dramatic than martial pasodobles, and lack lyrics, too. This pasodoble is based on music played at
bullfight
Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations.
There are several variations, including some forms wh ...
s during the bullfighters' entrance (''paseo''), or during the passes (''faena'') just before the kill. It is also composed to honor outstanding bullfighters. Some of the most famous are Suspiros de España, España cañí, Agüero, La Gracia de Dios,1 El Gato Montés, Viva el pasodoble, Tercio de Quites, Pan y toros, Cielo Andaluz, La Morena de mi Copla, Francisco Alegre, Amparito Roca, El Beso, Plaza de las Ventas.
Popular pasodoble
Made to dance in popular celebrations and social reunions. They tend to be upbeat, but can also be emotional and introspective, with the occasional melancholic or patriotic theme. They usually require a small number of instruments and musicians and have lyrics. Some famous examples are "Islas Canarias", "En er Mundo", "Costa Dorada" or "Valencia".
Band pasodoble
Pasodobles that require an entire band to be played, and are almost exclusively designed for popular parades and village celebrations. They often use colorful characters of the region and light hearted subjects as inspiration. This pasodobles are very alive in Spain, Today, the largest center for the mass production and creation of new pasodobles is the southeast of Spain, mainly the
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid with ...
, related to the popular
Moors and Christians festivals. The traditional ones can be heard in Spanish popular celebrations, patron saint verbenas, and weddings. Well known examples are "Paquito el Chocolatero", "Fiesta en Benidorm", "Alegría Agostense" or "Pirata Quiero Ser".
Display pasodoble
A pasodoble performed mostly for spectacle purposes, sometimes in a bullfighting ring. This pasodoble may or may not have lyrics, but it often adapts other styles of pasodoble and just changes the dancing to make it more spectacular for the public – often tourists. Essentially, this pasodoble dance involves role-playing. This two-person dance form has the man performing as the bullfighter and the woman as the cape. It is known as one of the fastest Latin ballroom dances because dancers make around 120 to 130 beats/steps per minute. In some versions, the man portrays the
matador
A bullfighter (or matador) is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter and describe all the performers in the activit ...
in the dance, and the woman portrays the bull.
Flamenco
Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...
-like qualities infuse the dance as the man and woman challenge each other.
![Banda copia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Banda_copia.jpg)
The leader of this dance plays the part of the matador. The follower generally plays the part of the matador's cape, but can also represent the shadow of the matador, as well as the flamenco dancer in some figures. The follower never represents the bull, although this is a common misconception.
This form of pasodoble is a lively style of dance to the
duple meter
Duple metre (or Am. duple meter, also known as duple time) is a musical metre characterized by a ''primary'' division of 2 beats to the bar, usually indicated by 2 and multiples (simple) or 6 and multiples (compound) in the upper figure of the tim ...
march
March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Marc ...
-like music, and is often performed in the context of theater. This form of pasodoble was mistakenly taken as the original form by English and French musicologists visiting Spain in the 20th century.
Tunas
Tunas
A tuna is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae (mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna (max length ...
is the name given to a brotherhood of students that play popular music together on the street to get some extra coins, or under the window of the beloved of one of them, to try and help the lovestruck member to get a date with her. Tunas have become one of the main forces keeping Spanish pasodoble alive. Tunas tend to adapt or repeat simple pieces that are already composed, but they sometimes compose their own, satyrical pieces.
By region
In addition to the Spanish pasodoble, already discussed, this rhythm has been adopted and modified by other nations:
Mexican pasodoble
Mexico has produced master composers of pasodoble, especially taurine pasodobles.
Agustín Lara
Ángel Agustín María Carlos Fausto Mariano Alfonso del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Lara y Aguirre del Pino (; October 30, 1897 – November 6, 1970), known as Agustín Lara, was a Mexican composer and performer of songs and boleros. He is recogn ...
or
Silverio Pérez
Silverio Pérez Figueroa (born July 18, 1948 in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican musician, writer, comedian, entrepreneur and broadcasting media host.
Early life
Pérez is the oldest of the eleven children of Silverio Pérez Rosado and ...
. Some of the best known Mexican pasodobles are
El Piti, El Charro Cárdenas, El abuelito, El banderillero, María Caballé, El Berrendito de San Juan, Tarde de toros, Toros en San Miguel, Joselito Huerta and Toros de Llaguno.
Puerto Rican pasodobles
Puerto Rican pasodobles are known for their nostalgic quality.
Some of the most famous are: Ecos de Puerto Rico (El Maestro Ladi), Morena (
Noro Morales
Norosbaldo Morales (January 4, 1911 – January 15, 1964) was a Puerto Rican pianist and bandleader.
Biography
Morales was born in the subbarrio Puerta de Tierra of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and learned several instruments as a child. He played ...
), Cuando pienso en España (Juan Peña Reyes), Reminiscencias (Juan Peña Reyes), El trueno (
Juan Peña Reyes
''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...
), Himno a Humacao (Miguel López), Sol andaluz (Manuel Peña Vázquez).
Colombian pasodobles
Pasodoble is not as popular in Colombia as in other countries, but the Colombia pasodoble, "Feria de Manizales", is an emblematic piece. It was composed in 1957, with lyrics by Guillermo González Ospina and music by Juan Mari Asins inspired by the Spanish classic "
España Cañi
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
". This pasodoble is based on the development of a parade and a dance with every single "Queen of the city" of Manizales, and it lasts one week.
Spanish pasodobles
*''
Amparito Roca''
*''El Beso''
*''La Entrada''
*''
El gato montés
''El gato montés'' ("The Wild Cat") is an opera in three acts composed by Manuel Penella who also wrote the Spanish-language libretto. It premiered on 23 February 1916 at the Teatro Principal in Valencia. The opera enjoyed great success in S ...
'' ("Wild Cat") from the
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
with the same name
*''El Relicario''
* ''
No te vayas de Navarra''
*''Agüero''
*''
España cañí
"España cañí" (meaning "Gypsy Spain" in Spanish) is a famous instrumental Spanish piece of pasodoble music by Pascual Marquina Narro (1873–1948). The song was written around 1923 and first recorded in 1926. In English it is also known as the ...
'' ("Gypsy Spain")
*''Islas Canarias'' named after
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...
.
*''La Gracia de Dios''
* ''Feria de Manizales'' (unofficial hymn of the Colombian City, Manizales)
*''Manolete'', named after
Manolete
Manuel Laureano Rodríguez Sánchez (4 July 1917 – 29 August 1947), known as Manolete, was a Spanish bullfighter.
Career
Manuel Laureano Rodríguez Sánchez was the son of a bullfighter (who also went by the name Manolete) and his wife An ...
.
*''La Morena de mi Copla''
*''
Plaza de las Ventas''
*''
Paquito el Chocolatero''. The tune has a dance of its own.
*''Sombreros y Mantilles''
*''
Suspiros de España''
* ''Que Viva España''
*''
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...
''
*''La Virgen de la Macarena''
*''Pasodoble hace salir el sol (The pasodoble makes the sun come up)''
Ballroom
Many pasodoble songs are variations of ''
España Cañi
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
''. The song has breaks or "highlights" in fixed positions in the song (two highlights at syllabus levels, three highlights and a longer song at open levels). Highlights emphasize music and are more powerful than other parts of the music. Usually, dancers strike a dramatic pose and then hold position until the end of the highlight. Traditionally, pasodoble routines are choreographed to match these highlights, as well as the
musical phrase
In music theory, a phrase ( gr, φράση) is a unit of Meter (music), musical meter that has a complete musical sense of its own, built from figure (music), figures, motif (music), motifs, and Cell (music), cells, and combining to form Melody ...
s. Accordingly, most ballroom pasodoble tunes are written with similar highlights (those without are simply avoided in competition).
Because of its heavily choreographed tradition, ballroom pasodoble is danced mostly competitively, almost never socially, or without a previously learned routine. That said, in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
,
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
,
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
,
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
and some parts of
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, it is danced socially as a led (unchoreographed) dance. In
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
, pasodoble is almost a must-have dance in weddings and big parties. It became especially famous thanks to the hit song "Guitarra Española" by
Los Melódicos.
This dance gained popularity in the US in 1930. It was too difficult to achieve widespread popularity. All moves are sharp and quick. Pasodoble takes up a lot of space, limiting it to special occasions.
In competitive dance, modern pasodoble is combined with other four dances (
samba
Samba (), also known as samba urbano carioca (''urban Carioca samba'') or simply samba carioca (''Carioca samba''), is a Brazilian music genre that originated in the Afro-Brazilian communities of Rio de Janeiro in the early 20th century. Havin ...
,
cha-cha-cha
Cha cha cha may refer to:
* ''Cha-cha-chá'' (music), a style of Cuban dance music
* Cha-cha-cha (dance), a Latin American dance accompanying the music
Film and television
* ''Cha Cha Cha'' (film), a 2013 Italian crime film
* ''Cha Cha Cha'' ...
,
rumba
The term rumba may refer to a variety of unrelated music styles. Originally, "rumba" was used as a synonym for "party" in northern Cuba, and by the late 19th century it was used to denote the complex of secular music styles known as Cuban rumba ...
and
jive) under the banner
International Latin
Latin dance is a general label, and a term in partner dance competition jargon. It refers to types of ballroom dance and folk dance that mainly originated in Latin America.
The category of Latin dances in the international dancesport competi ...
. Modern pasodoble dance consists of two dancing parts and one break in between for dancers of class D and of three parts and two breaks in between for dancers of class C, B, A, according to the
IDSF
The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), formerly the International DanceSport Federation (IDSF), is the international governing body of DanceSport and Para DanceSport, as recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Internat ...
classification.
Dancers of lower than D-class usually perform only four official dances of the Latin-American Program.
See also
*
Military step
Military step or march is a regular, ordered and synchronized walking of military formations.
History
The steady, regular marching step was a marked feature of Roman legions. Vegetius, the author of the only surviving treatise on the Roman Empi ...
*
Latin dance
Latin dance is a general label, and a term in partner dance competition jargon. It refers to types of ballroom dance and folk dance that mainly originated in Latin America.
The category of Latin dances in the international dancesport competi ...
References
External links
* Amparito Roca Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcnQqK6-qCc Note that while this Wikipedia article specifies a tempo of no more than 120 beats per minute for a Paso Doble, this performance is much faster, at about 156 beats per minute.
* Amparito Roca Audio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5BaunXbM-U This authentic interpretation by the Municipal Band of Madrid is performed at about 108 beats per minute.
Maestro Manuel LilloPlaza de las Ventas' Score''
*
*
{{Authority control
Spanish military marches
Ballroom dance
Latin dances
Spanish words and phrases
Spanish folk music
Spanish music
Bullfighting
Dance forms in classical music
Spanish dances
Dance terminology