, . IISICA , .

ARICA STUDY GUIDE

The University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures at San Antonio

PROGRAM CREDITS

Produced by Linda Lea Oscar Garza

Directed by Oscar Garza

Performed by Ben Thvera King

STUDY GUIDE CREDITS

Written by Thm Cutrer

Coordinated by Sylvia McCumba

1tJ1983, The University of Thxas Institute of Thxan Cultures at San Antonio

P.O. Box 1226, San Antonio, Thxas 78294

Jack R. Maguire, Executive Director Pat Maguire, Director of Development

International Standard Book Number 0-86701-009-6

This publication was made possible, in part, by a grant from the Houston Endowment, Inc.

Printed in the United States of America.

Study Guide for Use with the Videotape Program

Musica Hispanica A production of

The University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures at San Antonio

and The Southwest Texas Public Broadcasting Council

Contents

Introduction 3

Program Outline 4

Musical Instruments 5

Glossary of Terms 7

Discography 8

Bibliography Back Cover

Famed accordionist Esteban Jordan on the set of "Austin City Limits:'

Popular accordionist "Flacd' Jimenez on the set of "Austin City Limits"; photo by Scott Newton.

Introduction

Of the many rich gifts brought to Texas by set­tlers from other lands, none were more welcome than the distinct musical forms of each ethnic group. Anglo-Americans brought folk ballads and hymns from England, Scotland and Ireland. Black men and women blended African rhythms with European melodies, resulting in blues, jazz and ragtime. The Germans and Central and Eastern European peoples brought to Texas polkas, waltzes, schot­tisches and other folk songs and dances still heard and seen in towns such as Fredericksburg and New Braunfels. The music and dance of an immigrant people provide not only a strong link with their past, reminding them of their ethnic heritage, but also an offering to their adopted land and culture.

No one can think of Texas's music, however, with­out thinking immediately of the festive sounds of its Spanish immigrants and of the Indian music of Mexico. Not only may Hispanic music be enjoyed in Texas today performed by fine Chicano musicians such as Santiago Jimenez Sr. (photo page 4), Santiago Jimenez Jr. (photo page 4), "Flaco" Jimenez (photo on facing page), Narciso Martinez (photo page 7) and Esteban Jordan (photo on facing page), but Spanish and Mexican styles of music have found their way into the music of Anglo-Texan performers. Such famous country-and-western musicians as Bob Wills, Marty Robbins and Willie Nelson have been

greatly influenced by their exposure to and appre­ciation of the music of the Hispanic Texans.

In the program "Musica Hispanica" you will hear some songs written in Spain and Mexico hundreds of years ago. You will also hear conjunto music, developed in this century with a great deal of German and Czech influence. Tango and rumba rhythms, brought to the United States from Cuba and Argentina, are featured in other pieces. Ben Tavera King performs the music and explains how these pieces were composed, what ethnic influences played a part in their development, the kinds of instruments used and something of the people who performed them and made them popular.

As you listen to the music, think of what it must have been like to live when there was no ready access to music as we have today from radio, tapes and records. Consider also the vital importance of music, then and now, as an expression of religious worship, of the joys, hopes, fears and frustrations of all humans everywhere. It is the ability of expres­sion that makes music the only truly universal language. It is one of the greatest gifts left to us by our own ancestors and by our neighbors of other cultural backgrounds - cultures in which we can share through a knowledge and enjoyment of their songs and dances.

The Fandango-Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, Jan. 15, 1859.

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Program Outline

Farruca y Rumba Ben Tavera King opens the program with a

flamenco piece from Spain (the farruca) and a Cuban song (the rumba), played on a flamenco gui­tar. Performing at the annual 'lexas Folklife Festi­val, Ben explains that he studied flamenco guitar in Spain and started performing in Costa Rica. He moved to Texas and learned about the variety of Hispanic music that is part of 'lexas's heritage.

La Arpa de Juan Hernandez (The Harp of Juan Hernandez)

The psaltry (a miniature harp) came to Mexico with the Spanish conquistadores. As Ben plays the psaltry he explains how the Irish and Spanish mis­sionaries taught the Indians how to play this instru­ment for church ceremonies. The type of music is called a "son." The music room on the exhibit floor of The Institute of Texan Cultures provides the backdrop for this piece.

La Piedrera (The Rock Quarry)

Ben King and Frank Corrales perform in the German bandstand on The Institute's exhibit floor. Ben discusses the development of conjunto music, which became popular in the United States in the 1930's and 1940's. He plays the button accordion, and Frank, who has played conjunto music since the 1930's, performs on the electric guitar.

Don Santiago Jimenez, plays the accordion, accompanied by his son, Santiago Jimenez Jr. From the film "Chulas Fronteras"; photo by Chris Strachwitz.

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This polka was written by Don Santiago Jimenez Sr., one of the founding fathers of the con junto sound. Don Santiago was influenced by the polkas played by the Germans of New Braunfels, 'lexas. This segment includes an interview with Don Santiago in the Sunken Gardens of Brackenridge Park in San Antonio. This was the site of a rock quarry in Don Santiago's youth and was the inspira­tion for this song.

Tigua

This piece for flute and guitar was written by Ben King, to reflect the life-style and Indo-Hispanic culture of the Tigua Indians. A young member of the Tigua tribe in EI Paso performs portions of the tribe's t raditional Eagle Dance. The dance sequences were videotaped at Hueco Tanks, a ceremonial site and hunting ground for the Tiguas.

La Vuelta (The Turn)

Photographs of the popular dance troupe of the 1920's and 1930's, La Carpa Garcia, are shown while Ben plays this tango on the button accordion. Traveling performers from Argentina and Cuba brought the tango and rumba to south Texas.

Arriba Sinaloa (Hurrah for the State of Sinaloa)

Performing at the Folklife Festival, Ben plays this waltz with a concertina and a harmonica.

Flor Marchita (Faded Flower)

Ben King and F rank Corrales team up again to perform this schottische, written by Narciso Martinez. Ben explains the effect German and Polish settlers had on Martinez and his music. Dances which accompany conjunto music also reflect European influence, since they are done to rhythms like the polka, waltz and schottische. The Ballet Folklorico de San Antonio dancers are shown per­forming at the Texas Folklife Festival.

El Colorado

The Aztec Indians developed the charango after the Spaniards outlawed their traditional instru­ments because they were part of "pagan" religion. The charango represents a blend between the cul­tures; it is made from an armadillo shell and has a neck similar to a mandolin.

Musical Instruments

ACCORDION-

a portable keyboard wind instrument in which the wind is forced past free metallic reeds by means of a hand-operated bellows. It was brought to Texas in the mid-19th century by German immigrants, and it quickly became popular with their Hispanic neigh­bors and spread from the German-dominated Hill Country to San Antonio to the Rio Grande Valley and finally to the areas surrounding the Mexican city of Monterrey. It is used in "La Piedrera," "La Vuelta" and "Flor Marchita."

CHARANGO -

a stringed instrument made from the shell of an armadillo, an adaptation of the mandolin of the Spanish conquerers. It is used in "EI Colorado."

CONCERTINA -

the concertina, like the accordion, is a free-reed instrument. It was invented by Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1829 in London, England. All concer­tinas have end keyboards joined by expandable bellows to drive air over the reeds. Simple models have only a few buttons or piano keys, whereas

concertinas and accordions used by professional entertainers are complex instruments capable of playing music in a variety of styles. The concertina differs from the accordion chiefly in being hexagonal in shape, in having finger buttons for keys and in having melody keys on both ends. It is used in "Arriba Sinaloa."

FLUTE-

a wind instrument stopped at one end with a vibrating air column used as a means of tone pro­duction. To sound the flute, a current of air is directed against the sharp rim of the open upper end of the pipe. Although simple in appearance, the flute is difficult to play. The pipe is often fairly long and punctuated by only two or three finger holes. Most flutes are constructed of wood, bone, bamboo or horn, although metal is occasionally used. The flute is common to many cultures, but it is most often found in Asia and South America. A variety of flute known as the panpipes consists of a set of flutes of differing lengths joined in graduated order. By blowing across the tops of these, a variety of notes may be achieved. Panpipes have been known to exist for more than 2,000 years and have been found in most parts of the world. A wooden flute is used in "Tigua."

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HARMONICA-

a small rectangular wind instrument with free metallic reeds recessed in adjacent air slots along its length from which alternate tones of the scale are sounded by exhaling and inhaling. Chords or single notes can be produced depending on the number of slots covered by the mouth. The har­monica originated in Germany and is also called a mouth organ. It is used in "Arriba Sinaloa."

SPANISH GUITAR-

a flat-bodied instrument that has a long fretted neck and usually six strings, is played with a plec­trum or plucked with the fingers, sounds an octave lower than written, and has a compass of over three octaves up from E in the Great Octave. The Spanish or flamenco guitar is used by King in "Farruca y Rumba" and "Tigua:' The electric guitar is used by Corrales in "La Piedrera" and "Flor Marchita:'

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PSALTRY-

an arrangement of strings stretched across a flat or slightly curved board which forms the top of a box resonator, similar to a zither. Dating in Europe from the 11th century, the psaltry was an important in­strument to medieval and renaissance musicians and continues to be a popular instrument in many coun­tries. It is used in "La Arpa de Juan Hernandez."

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Glossary of Terms

AZTECS-a highly civilized and technologically advanced tribe of Indians living in central Mexico when the Spaniards, led by Cortes, defeated and displaced them in 1519.

CONJUNTO-literally "group"; a band of mUSiCians playing Hispanic-American music, especially in the south­western United States and northern Mexico. The music features the button accordion.

CONQUISTADORES -16th century soldiers who conquered South and Central America and much of the southwestern United States for Spain.

FARRUCA-a type of flamenco dance which features the fancy footwork of the male dancers.

FLAMENCO-a type of music and dance of Arab and Gypsy origin, popular in southern Spain and other areas of Spanish-influence in the world.

FIESTA-a great party, characterized by much singing and dancing, eating and drinking, which is shared by members of a Hispanic community. Also known as a pachanga.

PIEDRERA-a rock quarry. In this case, the song title refers to the rock quarry in San Antonio which is now the Sunken Gardens. It was the focal point of the Mexican-Texan barrio, or neighborhood, in which Santiago Jimenez Sr. lived and which inspired him to write the polka, "La Piedrera:'

POLKA-a Bohemian dance from the early 19th century which became phenomenally popular in western Europe and America. It is danced in a circle with the dancers stepping on the first three beats of a rapid measure and resting on the fourth.

RUMBA-a Cuban dance of complex rhythm popular in the United States and Europe in the 1930's.

SCHOTTISCHE -a type of polka introduced in Paris in the 1840's which soon spread through Europe and the

Americas. The name comes from the German word for "Scottish," and the dance remains very popular with German people both in Europe and in Texas and Mexico.

SON-a Mexican folk melody which is based on a fast, syncopated rhythm.

TIGUA-a Pueblo Indian tribe, part of which has lived near EI Paso since 168l.

WALTZ-a round dance in 3/4 time with a strong accent on the first beat of the measure, characterized by one step to the beat typically executed with a constant motion at a moderately fast tempo.

Narciso Martinez, known as El Huracan del Valle. From the film "Chulas Fronteras"; photo by Chris Strachwitz.

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Discography

"Manic Hispanic," Ben Tavera King, Inner Ear Records 101

"Corridos from Texas;' Los Pinguinos Del Norte, Arhoolie Records 3002

"El Sonido de San Antonio;' Flaco Jimenez, Arhoolie Records

"Saturday Night San Antonio;' Frank Corrales, Ben Tavera King and Los Polkeros, Folkways Records FD 6527

"Flaco Y Su Conjunto;' Flaco Jimenez, Arhoolie Records 3007

"Viva El West Side;' Conjunto Trio San Antonio, Arhoolie Records 3004

"Chulas Fronteras;' Film Sound Track, Arhoolie Records 3005

"Music of Mexico, Volume I-Sones Jarochos;' Arhoolie Records 3008

"Music of Mexico, Volume II - Sones Huastecas," Arhoolie Records 3009

"La Gloria de Texas," Lydia Mendoza, Arhoolie Records 3012

"Santiago Jimenez with Flaco Jimenez and Juan Viesca;' Arhoolie Records 3013

"El Mero, Mero;' Santiago Jimenez Jr., Arhoolie Records 3016

"Cult Music of Cuba," Various Artists, Folkways Records 4410

"Indian Music of Mexico," Various Artists, Folkways Records 4413

"Music of the American Indian," Various Artists, Folkways Records 4420

"Spanish and Mexican Folk Music," Various Artists, Folkways Records 4426

"Flamenco," Various Artists, Folkways Records 4437

"Spanish Guitar Solo," Various Artists, Folkways Records 6815

"Songs of Mexico," Various Artists, Folkways Records 6853

"Mexican Corridos," Various Artists, Folkways Records 6913

"Flamenco Guitar," Various Artists, Folkways Records 6920

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"Tex-Mex Volume #1- An Introduction," Folklyric Records 9003

"Tex-Mex Volume #2-Corridos, Part 1," Folklyric Records 9004

"Tex-Mex Volume #3-Corridos, Part 2," Folklyric Records 9005

"Tex-Mex Volume #4- Nortefio Accordion;' Folklyric Records 9006

"Tex-Mex Volume #5- Early String Band," Folklyric Records 9007

"Tex-Mex Volume #6-Cancioneros de Ayer I," Folklyric Records 9011

"Tex-Mex Volume #7 -Cancioneros de Ayer II," Folklyric Records 9012

"Tex-Mex Volume #8-Cancioneros de Ayer III," Folklyric Records 9013

"Tex-Mex Volume #9-Cancioneros de Ayer IV," Folklyric Records 9016

"Tex-Mex Volume #10 - Narciso Martinez I;' Folk­lyric Records 9017

"Tex-Mex Volume #11- EI Ciego Melquiades," Folklyric Records 9018

"Tex-Mex Volume #12 - Nortefio Accordion II ," Folklyric Records 9019

"Tex-Mex Volume #13-Nortefio Accordion III," Folklyric Records 9020

"Tex-Mex Volume #14-The Chicano Experience," Folklyric Records 9021

"Tex-Mex Volume #15- Lydia Mendoza I," Folklyric Records 9023

"Tex-Mex Volume #16- Lydia Mendoza II," Folklyric Records 9024

All titles listed above are available through Arhoolie Records.

For a complete catalog of all their historic Texas­Mexican Border music, send $1.00 to: Arhoolie Records 10341 San Pablo EI Cerrito, CA 94530

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Bibliography

Council, Kay. "The Conjunto Tradition:' The Texas Observer, March 25, 1977, pp. 19-20.

Dickey, Dan. "Tejano Troubadours:' The Texas Observer, July 16, 1976, pp. 14-16.

Dorson, Richard M. Folklore and Fakelore: Essays Toward a Discipline of Folk Studies. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1975.

Gracey, Joe. "Conjunto Fever:' Picking Up The Tempo, April 1975.

Ortiz, Andres L., ed. Exitos Musicales. San Antonio: Exitos Publications, n.d. A promotional maga­zine for Chicano music.

___ . Mundo Musical. San Antonio: Andrew L. Ortiz Publisher, n.d. A promotional tabloid magazine.

Paredes, Americo. With His Pistol in His Hand: A Border Ballad and Its Hero. Austin: Univer­sity of Texas Press, 1958.

___ . A Texas-Mexican Cancionero: Folksongs of the Lower Border. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1976.

Roberts, John S. The Latin Tinge: The Impact of Latin American Music on the United States. New York: Oxford University Press, 1979.

Rubel, Arthur J. Across the Tracks: Mexican­Americans in a Thxas City. Austin: University of 'Thxas Press, 1966.

Sonnichseh, Phillip. "Chicano MusiC:' The Folk Music Sourcebook. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1976.

Steiner, Stanley.La.Raza: The Mexican Americans. New York: Harper, 1970.

Strachwitz, Chris. "Music of La Raza, Vol. I;' Liner Notes, Arhoolie Records 3002, Berkeley, California, 1970.

The University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures at San Antonio 801 S. Bowie at Durango / P.O. Box 1226/ San Antonio, Texas 78294

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