Cantaré, Latin American Music The Legend of Viracocha - Pre-Columbian Music An Interactive Performance
Program Summary: Folktales, melodies and rhythms from the Andes, the Rainforest, Central America and the Caribbean. Students will take a journey back in time to experience the rich music and culture of the Indigenous people of Latin America. Audiences sing, play instruments and participate in the folktales. Related events: Hispanic Heritage, American Indian Heritage Month, Cinco de Mayo, International Day About the Group: Cantaré performers Cecilia Esquivel and Dani Cortaza are very active in the Washington area music scene and have extensive training in performance and music education. Vocals are accompanied by string and percussion instruments from Latin America with bass, percussion and keyboard backing tracks. STUDY GUIDE FOR TEACHERS WITH COMMON CORE CONNECTIONS
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES: a) To share with students an appreciation and understanding of different cultures; b) To establish bridges of understanding between children of different cultural backgrounds by learning about the connections and similarities that exist among them; c) To encourage children to learn a different language; d) To dispel stereotypes and promote a positive perception of Latino culture; e) To increase self-esteem among students of Hispanic descent and help them feel proud of their cultural heritage; f) To build confidence in students and in their expressive abilities; g) To encourage students to learn more about Latin America; h) To let students experience the joy of music through active participation in the program.
The Legend of Viracocha Teacher Study Guide - Cantaré, Latin American Music 1 www.cantaremusic.com [email protected] Students will…
1. Sing along to songs from Latin America 2. Hear and participate in folktales from the Indigenous people of Latin America 3. Play some traditional indigenous instruments from Latin America 4. Hear that Native Americans were the original inhabitants of the continent 5. Understand that instruments are made with the materials that are available in each environment 6. See Latin American countries on a map of the Western Hemisphere 7. Experience the diversity that exists within Latin American music and culture
INTRODUCTION:
Latin America is the area that extends from Mexico, in the southern part of North America, through Central America and the Caribbean basin to the lower tip of South America. Latin American music is comprised of a large number of distinct rhythms that have been developed regionally. Despite the variations in rhythm, style and instrumentation that exist throughout Latin America, three major cultural influences are generally evident in Latin musical forms: A) The Indigenous (Indian) cultures of the peoples who inhabited the region prior to the arrival and conquest of the region by Spain and Portugal, B) The European influence, specifically the Iberian cultures of Spain and Portugal, C) The African influence from the enslaved peoples brought by the Europeans. While these influences have been combined in many ways to form new styles of music, each of them contributed particular elements that are easily distinguishable. The indigenous cultures of the Americas constructed and played a wide variety of wind instruments such as the quena, a vertically-held bamboo flute, the zampoñas or panpipes, the ocarina, a globular flute made of clay in the shapes of animals, and percussion instruments such as several types of drums, the chajchas, made of goat hooves tied together, sea shells, turtle sells and seed rattles. The Europeans contributed their languages (Spanish and Portuguese, among a few others), as well as instruments that preceded the modern guitar. These served as models for the great variety of string instruments made by indigenous people in Latin America, such as the charango, a small ten- stringed instrument made from the shell of an armadillo and the regional versions of the tres, cuatro, mandolina, etc. The African influence is evident in the use of drums and other percussion instruments and in some of the dance styles which are common in many regions of Latin America. Today’s performance focuses on the Indigenous influence in the music and culture of Latin America. The Legend of Viracocha Teacher Study Guide - Cantaré, Latin American Music 2 www.cantaremusic.com [email protected] Activities for Further Research and Exploration ELA Common Core-Based Extensions
1. Discussion/Activity: Found Objects as Musical Instruments During the performance, Cantaré played some percussion instruments made with objects such as goat hooves. The following activity personalizes this concept for the students.
a) Whole-Class Discussion: Emphasize the concept introduced during the performance that people make instruments with the resources that are available in their environment. How does climate affect what is available for making instruments? (Ex: armadillos, turtles, goat hooves, gourds, wood, metal, and skin).
b) Small-Group Activity: Find common objects in the room that can be used on their own or assembled together as a musical instrument. (Look for things that you can shake, scrape, strike, pluck or blow.) As a group, come up with a name for your instrument.
c) Student Sharing: Share with the whole class the name of your group’s instrument, describing how it was created and explaining and demonstrating how it works.
d) Jam Session: All groups can play their instruments to accompany a musical recording or live song.
Addresses the following ELA Common Core State Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
The Legend of Viracocha Teacher Study Guide - Cantaré, Latin American Music 3 www.cantaremusic.com [email protected] 2. Story Reading and Creative Writing: How Did This Come to Be?
In the performance, Cantaré sang about the legend of the Zompopo, an ant that played an important part in Nicaragua’s corn harvest. Many traditional Latin American songs describe real events, and many others celebrate legends or explain – often fancifully – how things came to be.
a) Have students read folk stories from Latin America. Look for legends that explain the creation of plants, instruments, animals, etc. (Check the resource list for additional resources).
b) Challenge students to write an original fictional story or song describing how a phenomenon they find interesting came to be. Examples: a kickball champion, the smell of bacon, a school pet.
Addresses the following ELA Common Core State Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.2 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well- structured event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Fun Online Ant Science Activity http://www.intplay.com/uploadedFiles/Assembly_Instructions/MayanAntInvasion.pdf
The Legend of Viracocha Teacher Study Guide - Cantaré, Latin American Music 4 www.cantaremusic.com [email protected] (3) Research and Oral Presentation: Culture and Geography of Latin America
Using a globe or map, identify the regions that comprise Latin America. Locate Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Identify major differences among regions and countries: geography, climate, language, traditions, food, etc. Find out if there are students in the class whose parents or grandparents come from Latin America. Then, have students deepen their knowledge: Individually or in small groups, students research one country and present their findings to the class.
a) Talk about its climate and geographical make-up (is it a jungle, beach, mountain, desert, etc.).
b) Talk about animals found in the region.
c) Talk about foods, clothing and traditions from the different countries.
d) Talk about the music in the sound of language. If possible, have examples of different languages in song. Use the globe to locate the area as you listen.
e) Find out more! Cocoa, corn, tomatoes, vanilla, cinnamon and chewing gum all come from Latin America…
Addresses the following ELA Common Core State Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.2 Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
The Legend of Viracocha Teacher Study Guide - Cantaré, Latin American Music 5 www.cantaremusic.com [email protected] INSTRUMENT LIST
From the Andes region (Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Argentina):
Bombo – Large double-headed drum made from a hollowed tree trunk with patches made of calf or goat skin, played with two sticks.
Chajchas – rattle made from sheep, llama or goat hooves dried in the sun, oiled and sewn into a wrist cloth bracelet.
Zampoñas – panpipes made of bamboo reeds tied together.
Charango – Small ten-stringed guitar traditionally made from an armadillo shell.
Quena – vertical notched reed flute originally made from bones, clay or bamboo.
From the Caribbean (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic):
Güiro – a hollowed gourd made from the fruit of an “higuera” or gourd plant, with grooves carved on the side. A fine wire fork is used to scratch the ridges producing a scraping sound.
Puerto Rican cuatro – The national folkloric instrument of Puerto Rico, which looks like a small guitar. Originally it had four strings, now it has five pairs of metal strings that produce a high pitch sound. It is also used in Mexico.
From Venezuela:
Venezuelan cuatro – small four-stringed guitar from the plains of Colombia and Venezuela
The Legend of Viracocha Teacher Study Guide - Cantaré, Latin American Music 6 www.cantaremusic.com [email protected] RESOURCE MATERIALS
Teacher Resources:
World Music Press - Intercultural Understanding through Music - www.worldmusicpress.com
Exit Studio, Multicultural tools for the creative child - www.exitstudio.com
Teacher Links http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu
Mayan Kids - www.mayankids.com
Scholastic - http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/hispanic/
Smithsonian Institution -http://americansabor.org/classroom
Daria World Music for Children - http://www.dariamusic.com/teachers.php
Teacher’s First - http://www.teachersfirst.com/spectopics/nationalhispanicheritagemonth.cfm
Suggested Books:
How Things Came to Be:
Chancay and the Secret of Fire: A Peruvian Folktale by Charles Donald, 1992 Child of the Sun: A Cuban Legend by Sandra Arnold and Dave Albers, 1997 (eclipse) How flamingos came to have red legs: a South American folktale by Ned Jensen, 2000 Jabuti the Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Amazon by Gerald McDermott, 2005 (turtle shell) How Night Came To Be by Palazzo-Craig, 1996 When Women Became the Sea by Susan Strauss and Cristina Acosta, 1998
Mexico: La lagartija y el sol / The Lizard and the Sun: A Folktale in English and Spanish by Alma Flor Ada, 1997 La mujer que brillaba aún más que el sol / The Woman Who Outshone the Sun by Martínez, 1997 Musicians of the Sun by Gerald McDermott, 1997 The Story of Colors / La Historia de los Colores: A Bilingual Folktale from the Jungles of Chiapas by Subcomandante Marcos and Domitilia Domínguez, 1999 The Tale of La Llorona: A Mexican Folktale by Linda Lowery, Richard Keep and Janice Lee Porter, 2007 The talking burro (The talking donkey): A play based on a Mexican folktale by Joan Rayner, 1969
The Legend of Viracocha Teacher Study Guide - Cantaré, Latin American Music 7 www.cantaremusic.com [email protected] South America: Dancing Turtle: A Folktale from Brazil by Pleasant DeSpain and David Boston, 2005 James the Vine Puller: A Brazilian Folktale by Martha Bennett Stiles and Larry Thomas, 1992 Lazo a la Luna / Moon Rope: Una Leyenda Peruana / A Peruvian Folktale by L. Ehlert and A. Prince, 2010 Llama and the great flood: A folktale from Peru by Ellen Alexander, 1989 Mariana and the Merchild: A Folk Tale from Chile by Caroline Pitcher and Jackie Morris, 2000 The Girl from the Sky: An Inca Folktale from South America by Janice Skivington, 1992 The Inca by Arlette N. Braman, 2004 The Llama’s Secret, A Peruvian Legend by Argentina Palacios and Charles Reasoner, 1993 The Monkey People: A Colombian Folktale by Eric Metaxas, Diana Bryan and Raul Julia, 1995 The Thunder King: A Peruvian Folk by Amanda Loverseed, 1991 Tonight Is Carnaval by Arthur Dorros, 1995
Central America: Conejito: A Folktale from Panama by Margaret Read MacDonald and Geraldo Valerio, 2006 The Hummingbird King, a Guatemalan Legend by Palacios, 1998 Magic Dogs of the Volcanoes/Los perros mágicos de los volcanes by Manlio Argueta and Elly Simmons, 1997 Mayan Folktales: Folklore from Lake Atitlán, Guatemala by James D. Sexton, 1999 People of Corn: A Mayan Story by Mary-Joan Gerson and Carla Golembe, 1995 Rain Player by David Wisniewski, 1991 Song of the Chirimia: A Guatemalan Folktale by J. Anne Volkmer, Narrade E. and Lori Schatchneider, 1992 The Chocolate Tree: A Mayan Folktale by Linda Lowery, 2008 Trisba and Sula: A Miskitu Folktale from Nicaragua by Joan MacCracken and Augusto Silva, 2005 When Woman Became the Sea by Susan Strauss and Cristina Acosta, 1998
Spanish-Speaking Caribbean: La Cucaracha Martina: A Caribbean Folktale by Daniel Moreton, 1999 Rabbit Wishes: Cuban Folktales by Linda Shute, 1995 Taniíi: An Afrocuban Folktale by Maria Luisa Retana and Mary Ann Hanson, 2004 The Golden Flower: A Taíno Myth from Puerto Rico by Nina Jaffe and Enrique O. Sanchez, 2005 The Legend of the Hummingbird: A Tale from Puerto Rico by Michael R. Ramirez and M. Sanfilippo, 1998
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