From Colombia's northern coast, specifically from the Valledupar region, comes the genre known as vallenato. Emerging in the mid 20th century and with origins in traditional cumbia, vallenato has become one of country's most popular styles.
A traditional group contains button accordion (brought to northern Colombia in the early 1800s), caja (a small, single-membrane drum) and the guacharaca (a palm wood scraper). Vallenato is a musical genre that contains four styles: son, paseo (one of the most popular styles for dancing), merengue (similar but not related to its Dominican counterpart), and the puya (which is considered the most complex). The lyrics of the genre range from tributes to everyday occurrences, and was considered a "lower-class" art-form during its development in the mid 20th century. This humble music was discriminated against – as were its creators – until musicians began adapting vallenato into more modern ensembles during the 1950s and 60s. The term "vallenato" has to do with the geographic home of the genre, meaning "from the valley," as well as a more derogatory meaning. The story is that the genre was created by the river-based poor along the banks of the César River. A number of these citizens were afflicted with a mosquito-born disease that discolored their skin so that they looked like newborn whales called "ballenatos" (from the Spanish word "ballena" meaning whale).
In the 1990s, artists including Gloria Estefan and Carlos Vives helped to popularize the genre, introducing international audiences to the vibrant and generally happy form. Young Colombians began to accept a music their parents had previously shunned. Contemporary vallenato groups may be much larger, but its humble origins – and traditional ensembles – have recently become wildly popular among young generations in Colombia today. – Rebeca Mauleon
Song that Got Me There:
Lyrics & English Translation:
http://lyricstranslate.com
Spanish La gota fria
Acordate Moralito de aquel día
que estuviste en Urumita
y no quisiste hacer parranda.
Te fuiste de mañanita.
Sería de la misma rabia
En mis notas soy extenso.
A mí nadie me corrige.
Para tocar con Lorenzo
mañana sábado,
día de la Virgen
Me lleva él o me lo llevo yo
pa' que se acabe la vaina
¡Ay! Morales a mí no me lleva
porque no me da la gana
Moralito a mí no me lleva
porque no me da la gana.
¿Qué cultura, qué cultura va a tener
un indio chumeca como Lorenzo Morales?
¿qué cultura va a tener,
si nació en los cardonales?
Morales mienta a mi mama
solamente pa' ofender.
Para que él también se ofenda,
ahora le miento a la de él.
Me lleva él o me lo llevo yo …
Moralito, Moralito se creía
que él a mí, que él a mí me iba a ganar,
pero cuando me oyo tocar
le cayó la gota fría,
Al cabo él la compartía
y el tiro le salió mal.
Me lleva él o me lo llevo yo
English: Cold sweat drop
Moralito, remember that day
When you were in Uramita
and did not want to make party?
You left early in the morning
Was it because of that grugde from long ago?
When I play the accordion, my notes are extensive
And nobody needs to correct me
To play with him in the feast
Tomorrow morning
On the day of Virgin Mary,
Or he'll defeat me, or I'll defeat him there
So as to finish that argument once and for all
Ay, Morales does not defeat me
Because I don't feel like giving in
Moralito does not defeat me
Because I don't feel like giving in
What good manners would a chumeca indian
like Lorenzo Morales have?
What good manners would he have
Since he was raised amidst fields of cardón cactuses?
Moralito tells my mom lies about me
Just to upset me
And now, just to upset him
I'll tell his lies about him
Moralito was sure that
He would beat me
But when he heard me playing
He sweated cold for fear
After all, he agreeded he had lost
And his ambitions just backfired
