Guataca pattern in toque de güiro
Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2020 10:03 am
Hello!
I have watched this video a couple of times and I find it fascinating. It is a toque de güiro in Havanna, which is, I believe, one of the rites of the Cuban lucumí religion (Santería, Regla de Ocha/Ifá) that has its origins in the Yoruba people of West Africa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6Nly5f8NkU
I love the vocal melodies, the intertwining shekere patterns, and, of course, the amazing and (to me) mysterious improvisation on the caja/tumbadora by master drummer Maximino Duquesne.
I was trying to tap the guataca/bell part while singing along the coros (or rather mumbling along, since I don't understand the words). However, I find it very difficult and I usually get lost after a short while. I don't know if I am placing the "1" right.
I hear the guataca part like this:
X - X X - X - X - X - X
which is very close to the standard 6/8 bell pattern (X - X - X X - X - X - X), but I think that it might also be displaced on the video, so maybe the "1" is somewhere else. Can somebody help me?
Also, I have a more philosophical question. I have doubts about whether I should try to learn this kind of music in the first place, since I am not part of this religion (or ANY religion, for that matter), although I am interested in religions, and, of course, in music. But with time I have learned for me that it is better to be cautious and respectful when dealing with these subjects, and there are more than enough secular music traditions out there to learn and love. What do you think?
Salud!
I have watched this video a couple of times and I find it fascinating. It is a toque de güiro in Havanna, which is, I believe, one of the rites of the Cuban lucumí religion (Santería, Regla de Ocha/Ifá) that has its origins in the Yoruba people of West Africa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6Nly5f8NkU
I love the vocal melodies, the intertwining shekere patterns, and, of course, the amazing and (to me) mysterious improvisation on the caja/tumbadora by master drummer Maximino Duquesne.
I was trying to tap the guataca/bell part while singing along the coros (or rather mumbling along, since I don't understand the words). However, I find it very difficult and I usually get lost after a short while. I don't know if I am placing the "1" right.
I hear the guataca part like this:
X - X X - X - X - X - X
which is very close to the standard 6/8 bell pattern (X - X - X X - X - X - X), but I think that it might also be displaced on the video, so maybe the "1" is somewhere else. Can somebody help me?
Also, I have a more philosophical question. I have doubts about whether I should try to learn this kind of music in the first place, since I am not part of this religion (or ANY religion, for that matter), although I am interested in religions, and, of course, in music. But with time I have learned for me that it is better to be cautious and respectful when dealing with these subjects, and there are more than enough secular music traditions out there to learn and love. What do you think?
Salud!