By Karl Heiland ´10
Music is the most timeless of all languages. From Homo habilis banging sticks together in the African highlands to your aunt Lisa listening to Duran Duran on the elliptical trainer; we all have a natural inclination towards rhythm and harmony.
Without failure, one of the first questions I am asked upon meeting a new person here is, ¨¿Qué tipo de música te gusta?,¨ or, ¨What type of music do you like?¨ The importance of this question reveals a truth that is often lost on the iPod generation: music is as much a social form as it is an artistic one.
Earlier in the trip, I was lucky enough to have one of the most memorable musical and cultural experiences of my life at a boliche, or dance club. A mystical aura of perfume and smoke hung over a dance floor full of teenagers passionately throwing themselves into the predominant form of popular music, reggaetón. Close to twenty years ago, this music was born in urban Panama. Combining fast Latin dance beats with a mixture of singing and rapping, this genre has become an important part of South American youth culture.
Even with my basic Spanish abilities, it is easy to get the gist of these songs by knowing a few key phrases. There are the break-up songs, which make great use of the word mentirosa, or liar; there are the love songs, which use the phrases te amo or te quiero, meaning I love you, anywhere from ten to fifty times; and then there are the straight-up dance songs, which inevitably include a section with the word ¡baile! (dance) being shouted.
Dance fever
One of the most obvious differences between the U.S. and Argentina is our ability in the art of, to use an anthropological term, ¨groove.¨ As opposed to what is seen at most high schools in the U.S., the teenage dancing of Argentina is a little ¨breed¨ and a little more ¨dance¨ (see Mr. Johnson for a more complex look into the phenomenon of ¨booty-dancing¨). After a few hours on the floor, I began to really get a feel for the music as well as the way that people were moving. Imagine James Brown raised by a group of traveling Salsa dancers and you have a pretty good idea of what it looked like. At close to six in the morning, we were thoroughly exhausted and decided to take a taxi back home.
As someone who is known to dabble in the art of ¨jazz,¨ another fascinating thing I have learned more about in Argentina is bossa nova. In the late 50s to the early 60s, this music was created in Brazil, and has since become popular throughout South America.
On a mellow Sunday evening, my host family decided to give me a tour of a neighboring city, Entre Rios. The city is full of green, gently-rolling hills, and as the name suggests, it is surrounded by rivers. High above the water, people sit on half-walls overlooking the gray and blue waters. Groups of hundreds flock for the sole purpose of sitting and following the sun´s purple path over the somber scenery.
While taking in this sight, my ears were taking in the sounds of bossa nova from the car´s stereo on full volume. Immediately, I felt how perfectly suited the music was for the surroundings. The warm chords of the guitar and piano were the purple and orange sunset, warm and nostalgic. The samba rhythm kept perfect time with the mopeds and stray dogs dodging through cars and crowds. After a sight like this, you feel like it´s a crime that most people in the United States will never care to go south of Rocky Point.
Sundown at Entre Rios
Music is the most timeless of all languages. From Homo habilis banging sticks together in the African highlands to your aunt Lisa listening to Duran Duran on the elliptical trainer; we all have a natural inclination towards rhythm and harmony.
Without failure, one of the first questions I am asked upon meeting a new person here is, ¨¿Qué tipo de música te gusta?,¨ or, ¨What type of music do you like?¨ The importance of this question reveals a truth that is often lost on the iPod generation: music is as much a social form as it is an artistic one.
Earlier in the trip, I was lucky enough to have one of the most memorable musical and cultural experiences of my life at a boliche, or dance club. A mystical aura of perfume and smoke hung over a dance floor full of teenagers passionately throwing themselves into the predominant form of popular music, reggaetón. Close to twenty years ago, this music was born in urban Panama. Combining fast Latin dance beats with a mixture of singing and rapping, this genre has become an important part of South American youth culture.
Even with my basic Spanish abilities, it is easy to get the gist of these songs by knowing a few key phrases. There are the break-up songs, which make great use of the word mentirosa, or liar; there are the love songs, which use the phrases te amo or te quiero, meaning I love you, anywhere from ten to fifty times; and then there are the straight-up dance songs, which inevitably include a section with the word ¡baile! (dance) being shouted.
Dance feverOne of the most obvious differences between the U.S. and Argentina is our ability in the art of, to use an anthropological term, ¨groove.¨ As opposed to what is seen at most high schools in the U.S., the teenage dancing of Argentina is a little ¨breed¨ and a little more ¨dance¨ (see Mr. Johnson for a more complex look into the phenomenon of ¨booty-dancing¨). After a few hours on the floor, I began to really get a feel for the music as well as the way that people were moving. Imagine James Brown raised by a group of traveling Salsa dancers and you have a pretty good idea of what it looked like. At close to six in the morning, we were thoroughly exhausted and decided to take a taxi back home.
As someone who is known to dabble in the art of ¨jazz,¨ another fascinating thing I have learned more about in Argentina is bossa nova. In the late 50s to the early 60s, this music was created in Brazil, and has since become popular throughout South America.
On a mellow Sunday evening, my host family decided to give me a tour of a neighboring city, Entre Rios. The city is full of green, gently-rolling hills, and as the name suggests, it is surrounded by rivers. High above the water, people sit on half-walls overlooking the gray and blue waters. Groups of hundreds flock for the sole purpose of sitting and following the sun´s purple path over the somber scenery.
While taking in this sight, my ears were taking in the sounds of bossa nova from the car´s stereo on full volume. Immediately, I felt how perfectly suited the music was for the surroundings. The warm chords of the guitar and piano were the purple and orange sunset, warm and nostalgic. The samba rhythm kept perfect time with the mopeds and stray dogs dodging through cars and crowds. After a sight like this, you feel like it´s a crime that most people in the United States will never care to go south of Rocky Point.
Sundown at Entre Rios
Karl,
fantastic wit, wisdom, and image here. at least i think it's wit...maybe not. either way, glad to see you guys are mixing some fun in with the learning (hopefully!) y'all are experiencing there. six in the morning? Damaso lets you guys stay out that late? have him see me when he gets back. in all seriousness, though, continue to form and learn and frolic carefully. --mr walsh
Karl,
Your post was great! You sound like your having so much fun! I know I would if I got to go clubbing until 6 in the morning in Argentina. Man, talk about the night of your life! It is interesting seeing the differences between United States music and dancing and Argentinean music and dancing. You made a very thoughtful comparison. Have a safe trip home. Peace.
All the best,
Connor Genta