African Musical Instrum

ents

DJEMBE DRUMS

The traditional djembe is a goblet shaped hand drum with an authentic goat skin playing surface affixed with rope runners.  African djembe drums are hand crafted from a solid piece of hardwood with inner carvings that produce a wide range of tones. Originating in West Africa, the djembe was used as a gathering drum and today is popular worldwide for people of all ages.

ADENKUM (AH-DEN-KOOM) GOURD CALABASH

The Adenkum (ah-DEN-koom) gourd calabash instrument is used by Ghanaian women to accompany their social songs and chants. Adenkum songs incorporate specific movements and sounds from the gourd by slapping and tapping it with hands and forearm. Adenkum is a traditional instrument and genre of social music not very well known outside of Ghana, but gaining popularity in educational setting thanks to the work of Sowah Mensah and others. Adenkum are are hand crafted in Ghana by cultural

artisans supported by African Heartwood Project. Strong calabash gourd selected specifically for use as Adenkum with the following features:

naturally dried then cleaned out (reason for the hole in one end) strengthened and beautified with a coat of wood lacquer bulb is about 6-7 in. diameter, total length about 15-17 in.

AFRICAN SLIDER GUIRO

If you could mix a guiro, vibra-tone, and wawa pedal you'd get this crazy percussion toy we call the African Slider Guiro. By sliding the gourd over the carved ridges in the cane body a guiro-like sound is produced. The resonating chamber is the Togo seed, which, when touching the vibrating cane, can be covered by the thumb (like a vibra-tone) to change the pitch, creating a wawa effect. This instrument features:

18" tall cane with carved ribs and leather stoppers

2" hollow Swawa gourd and open Togo seed on leather cord Handcrafted using natural materials in Ghana Playing instructions:

 1. hold handle and seed pod in one hand, grip round gourd in other hand2. slide gourd up and down stick quickly, in rhythm3. touch seed pod to handle in rhythm, which changes/amplifies the sound of the the sliding gourdhint: the technique of simultaneously holding the handle and touching and lifting the pod on and off the handle with one hand will take a bit of practice. have fun!

FRIKYWA

The frikywa (FREE-chee-wah), also known as the grello bell or African castanet, is a two-piece instrument used in Ghanaian percussion ensembles. The bell is shaped like a large, open walnut shell connected at the top and bottom, which is held by one finger. The ring is used to strike the bell, and can be worn on the thumb or held in the opposite hand. The frikywa features:

hand forged from recycled iron by expert blacksmiths in Ghana variety of clear, crisp tones that sing out above the ensemble round ring striker included with each bell due to handcrafted nature of the frikywa, size of bell and ring will vary,

as will sound

BOLON

The bolon (bow-LONE, also nbolon) is a traditional Mande harp consisting of a large open-top gourd covered with skin, fretless neck, bridge, and 3-4 tunable strings. This instrument is lower pitched than the other West African harps like the ngoni or kora, and is said to have association with the warrior class. Each bolon is hand made in Mali or Guinea using traditional methods and features:

Large, thick calabash gourd, 16-18" diameter, with bass hole Thick goat or calf skin stretched over top, fastened with decorative

tacks or stitching Curved, fretless neck extending from end of gourd 32-38", may have

resonator attached Hardwood bridge with anchor hold 3-4 leather strings in place Tuning by sliding strings up or down the neck

Hand crafted in Mali or Guinea using traditional methods and quality materials

KORA

The kora (CORE-uh) is an ancient Mande 21 string harp that sounds like a mix between a traditional harp and a classical guitar, played throughout western Africa. This version has the traditional tuning method with hardened leather rings that slide up and down the neck for tension adjustment. The instrument consists of a large half calabash gourd body, covered with goat or calf skin, with a notched bridge, hand posts, and 20-22 fish-line strings. It is played by holding the instrument in both hands by the hand posts and plucking the strings with thumbs and fingers. This ring-tuned kora is covered by our satisfaction guarantee, and features:

Built to musician-grade standards by expert craftsmen in Mali or Guinea using traditional methods

Thick calabash gourd body, 19-21" wide, 8-9" deep, covered with thick goat skin

21 fish-line strings attached with metal ring, notched bridge, and adjustable leather tuning rings

Thick hardwood neck extending 32" out from gourd, solid wood hand posts and bridge supports

JELI NGONI

The jeli ngoni (also djeli n'goni, pronounced like jelly, then "nn-GO-nee") is a traditional Mande instrument, a lute played by the jelis. It consists of a hollow body with goat skin covering (like a drum) with a fretless fingerboard and four to seven fish-line strings, strung over a bridge and tensioned by leather straps. The djeli ngoni is likely the ancestor of the modern-day banjo, and is still very popular today in traditional and modern Mande music. These instruments are built to professional standards in Mali and Guinea, this instrument features:

Solid, handcarved hardwood body, 15-18" long and 4-5" wide Thick goat or calf skin stretched tight and fixed to body with decorative tacks

or wood pegs Fretless dowel fingerboard 25-30" long, extending out of body 14-18" 4-5 thin fish-line strings attached to wood bridge, tunable with leather cinch

straps Hand crafted using traditional methods in Mali or Guinea by expert ngoni

builders

FONTOMFROM ENSEMBLE

Very popular in traditional music from Ghana, the Fontomfrom Ensemble is used to communicate royal messages in Ashanti tribal settings, as well as to play some popular. The energetic poly-rhythms created with these drums can be extremely complex, and is usually very loud given the size and purposes of the drums. Our Fontomfrom Ensemble Sets are carved by Africa Heartwood Project artisans in Ghana, in sustainable, socially responsible circumstances. Here is what this ensemble set features:

Handcarved using traditional tools and methods in Ghana, West Africa Red tweneboa wood, legally harvested and carved from a solid piece of

wood

Wood seasoned, oiled with shea butter and coconut oil, and sealed on the outside

Shaved cow skins, woven using traditional peg fixing method Two Fontomfrom drums (15-17"x50-55") with vudetsi stands and

curved sticks Two Atumpan drums (12-14"x30-32" ) with curved sticks Two Apentema drums (8-10"x20-22") with sticks One Apetia drum (7-8"x19-21") with stick

Vocal Music

of

Latin America

Spanish music", "Latin rhythms", are standard labels used by DXers to describe the kind of music they hear from Latin American broadcasting stations.

By replacing "Spanish" and "Latin" with, say, "American" and "Anglo", the vagueness of such terms come into the open.

It is not an easy task to determine the home of a musical variety if you have to choose from more than 20 countries. Even a native Latin American senses the difficulty, except of course when he has to identify the kind of music which is unique to his home country.

A Venezuelan showbiz manager catering for Latin Americans in the Boston area said that he could count on a full Mexican crowd if "Los Tigres del Norte" were to perform. Similarly, "Los Inquietos del Vallenato" would attract all Colombians in the area, and should a punta band ever go to Massachussetts, he would easily fill the concert hall with Hondurans.

This explains why local Hispanic broadcasters in the US rarely cater for immigrant minorities. Where there is a majority of Mexicans, there is little reason to play Argentinianchacareras or Ecuadorian danzantes which the majority of their listeners would not like anyway.

In Latin America, there is usually some local musical flavor to be noticed on most stations. Sometimes the inherent cultural and ethnic factors of a region or a group are felt as more important than political frameworks and boundaries.

That is why broadcasters in Northern Peru, during the war against Ecuador a couple of years ago, did not curtail their usual programs of Ecuadorian pasillos. The war was president Fujimori´s idea but this could not instantly erase common cultural heritage. A large chunk of present-day Peru had in fact been under Ecuadorian rule for more than one hundred years until the area was declared Peruvian soil in 1941.

Similarly, people in Northern Argentina tend to like the same kind of music as many Bolivians. Too, they share a common ethnic and cultural heritage, a blend of Quechua and Hispanic traditions.

And so, while Mexican rancheras are felt as part and parcel of the local mestizo culture in Central America, people of African descent, wherever they may be, feel that Cuban son and other polyrhythmic dance music is theirs.

For these reasons, and many others, trying to distinguish between the musical styles of the region and learning their whereabouts will give an added bonus to Latin American DXing. The following samples are meant to serve as an appetizer for DXers wishing to taste the richly assorted and good-tasting Latin American musical "smörgåsbord".

Common to many areas

balada"Quererte a ti" - Angela Carrasco

Latin Adult Contemporary.Angela Carrasco is from the Dominican Republic.

bolero"Mil besos" - Los Embajadores "Sombras" - Felipe Pirela

Popular in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and criollo areas of the Andean countries.Los Embajadores is an Ecuadorian trio."Sombras" is originally a tango.See also Boleros: Everblooming Flowers for Everlasting Love

pasodoble"España, mi bella España" - Mariachi Garibaldi

Of Spanish heritage, the pasodoble is heard as an intro or as a change of mood in dance parties in Spain, Mexico, Central America, Venezuela and Colombia which have one thing in common: they allow bullfights, which are banned, for example, in Argentina.

tropicalColombian: "La palomita" - Los TitanesPeruvian (cumbia tropical andina):"La colegiala" - Rodolfo y su tipicaBolivian (cumbia boliviana):"El pavo y la pava""La cerveza" (a "classic")Venezuelan (tropical tecnopop):"Ay amor" - Los Melódicos"Ella es" - Los Fantasmas del Caribe

In Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia also called tropical andina; in Venezuela, tropical tecnopop.A great web source for Latin music of all kinds is Descarga.

rock/rap"Mami yo te quiero" - Qué pasa

in Spanish, locally produced in some metropolitan areas.Qué pasa is a Venezuelan group. This theme was later recorded by Panamanian rap specialist El General.

aguinaldoVenezuelan:"El cocuy que alumbra" - Un solo puebloPuerto Rican

Christmas carols, villancicos, particularly vigorous tradition in Puerto Rico and Venezuela.

salsaCaribbean:"Yo no soy mentiroso" - MonguitoColombian:"Una aventura" - Grupo Niche"La negra no quiere" - Grupo NicheColombian salsa romantica:"Verdades" - Hánsel CamachoVenezuelan:"Detalles" - Oscar d'Léon

modernized way of playing Afro-Cuban music featuring reinforced brass and percussion sections.The Grupo Niche selections are examples of the "Cali Sound". "La negra no quiere" is from 1982 or so.Oscar d'León is one of the foremost Venezuelan soneros. See Salsamania for a recording of his tune "Mentiras".See also Picadillo (The Starting Point for Salsa Surfers) , and Timba

Mexico and Central America

corrido (ranchera)"El novillo despuntado" - Las JilguerillasMexican   ranchera balada ranchera:"Es demasiado tarde" - Ana Gabriel

corrido is also known as ranchera.The second example is a ranchera used in serenatas for birthday greetings alongside with the well-known theme "Las mañanitas".

tejano"El Güero Polkas" - Flaco Jiménez

tejano is also known as tex-mex.The late Selena is perhaps the most well known of all tejano artists.

son huastecoson huapangoson jarocho

Mexican styles, often played by mariachi orchestras.

son guatemalteco Featuring the marimba, the national instrument of Guatemala.

punto guanacastecoCosta Rican audio samples: 

tonadaNicaraguan:"Clodomiro el Ñajo" - Carlos Mejía Godoy y Los de Palacagüina

Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador.

pasillo Popular in El Salvador.

Caribbean Basin and

Surrounding Areas

danzón"Rey de Reyes" - Orquesta Siglo XX

Old-time formal Cuban dance music. Played on the Sunday evening birthday greetings show on Radio Rebelde (5025 kHz and many MW frequencies).

son"Son de la loma" - Trío Matamoros"Cómo se baila el son" - La India de Oriente

son originated in Cuba, and is now widely heard all over Latin America. The Trío Matamoros sample is a "classic"; there are dozens of salsa arrangements of this tune.See also What the Soneros are Saying by Frank Figueroa.

guajira Cuban

rumba"El callejón de los rumberos" - Yoruba Andabo

Afro-Cuban percussion and vocal style.See Décima and Rumba: Iberian formalism in the heart of Afro­Cuban song.

charanga"Sabrosona" - Orquesta Aragon

Cuban style with violins and flute. This sample is a "classic".

pachanga Cuban

guaguancó"El bochinche de las emisoras" - Orquesta Novel

Cuban. The title translates to "The station jumble" (referring to the overcrowding of the broadcasting dial).Interesting salsa vocabulary: SalsaLoca - "El diccionario y lexico"

mambo"Mambo No. 8" - Pérez Prado y su orquesta

Cuban big-band style.

cha cha chá"Tres lindas cubanas" - Orquesta Aragón 

A Cuban "classic".

bomba"El negrito bembón" - Cortijo y su Combo

A Puerto Rican musical style.

merengue"O lo matas tú o lo mato yo" - Jossie Estéban y La Patrulla 15"Compadre Pedro Juan" - Ramón García, his saxophone and his Conjunto Típico Cibao"La bilirrubina" - Juan Luis Guerra y los 4-40"A Pedir Su Mano" - Juan Luis Guerra y los 4-40

From the Dominican Republic. The Ramón García sample is sort of a second national anthem of the Dominican Republic, a beautiful rendering of a "classic".Tambora y Güira is a page dedicated to all genres of the music from the Dominican Republic.

bachata"Gotas de pena" - Alex Bueno

A popular midtempo acoustic/electric style from the Dominican Republic.

cumbiaColombian:"La pollera colorá" - Pedro Salcedo y su orquestaMexican:"Que bello" - La Sonora Tropicanacumbia peruana:"La pastorcita" - Los Walkers

cumbia is popular in Colombia and Panama, with regional variants in Peru, Bolivia, Central America and Mexico. The Mexican and Central American cumbia is faster than its Colombian counterpart.In a special Millennium Poll conducted by Colombia´s RCN Radio y TV, "La pollera colorá" was selected as the 5th most popular Colombian tune of this century.The Peruvian group Los Walkers is from Huánuco.

porro"Carmen de Bolívar" - Matilde Díaz con Lucho Bermúdez y su orquesta"Borrachera" - Lucho Bermúdez

Mainstream Colombian dance music, also known as tropical and sometimes raspa. The two selections are "classics" to be heard once a year on most Colombian stations, i.e. for Christmas and New Year's.The Colombian gaita sounds rather like a clarinet, which Lucho Bermúdez used to play himself.Discos Fuentes is a Colombian record label.

vallenato"Tierra mala" - Los Chiches Vallenatos"El Santo Cachón" - Los Embajadores Vallenatosvallenato sabanero:"El guayabo de La Ye" - Lisandro Meza

A Colombian style. sabanero refers to the area west of the Magdalena river, as the vallenato usually referred to is the one which orginated in the area east of the river, in the region of Valledupar.La Ye, meaning the letter Y, is a place name; the town where the main road splits in two can be found not far from the provincial capital, Montería."Guayabo" in Colombian Spanish means "hangover", so the title of Lisandro Meza´s hit, popular from Colombia all the

way down to Peru, is "The Hangover of La Ye".See also Vallenato, Vallenateando en el Web , and In Memory of a renowned Vallenato artist.

tamborito Panamá

reggae Originally from Jamaica, now popular throughout the Caribbean.

soca Evolved from Trinidadian calpyso, now popular throughout the Caribbean.

zouk"Zouk-La-Se Sel Medikaman Nou Ni" - Kassav'

The most popular musical style in Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, and popular anywhere French is spoken.Kassav' is a popular group from the French Antilles. The title of the sample translates to "zouk is the only medicine we have".

hip hop/dance"Candela" - Proyecto Uno

Venezuela, Panama, Caribbean basin, Peruvian jungle area

punta Fiesta - Banda BlancaPunta cumbia - Grupo Kazzabe

 This rhythm is popular along the Caribbean coastline of Central America, especially Honduras

Andean Regions of Ecuador, Peru & Bolivia

pasillo"Adiós mi vida" - Los Imbayas "Latidos" - Hermanos Castro y Bolívar Ortiz

The Ecuadorian pasillo is very popular in northern Peru."Latidos" is an extremely typical example of this style.Visit David Gleason's page for more about Ecuador and Colombia.

danzante, pasacalle"El chullita quiteño" - Benítez y Valencia"El chullita quiteño" - Don Medardo y sus Players

Ecuadorian. Two examples of a "classic", kind of a second national anthem of Ecuador, and the tune exists in countless vocal and instrumental versions.The Benítez y Valencia sample is a duo, and the Don Medardo is an uptempo rendition.More Benítez y Valencia samples are available at Ecuador Nostalgia Rockola.

albazo, tonada Ecuadorian.Here is a recording from Radio Runacunápac Yachana, in Ecuador, on 2967.7 kHz, dated Jan 17 1993. To start it off there is an ID in Quichua followed by a music cut, at the end of which the signal faded down. Then comes a music promo containing short samples, 10 to 25 seconds long of each of the styles mentioned:"La música es la expresión de sentimiento y valentía: el danzante... el aire típico... el pasacalle... la tonada... el pasillo... el sanjuanito... el capishca... el yaraví... el cachullapi... el albazo... Estos son los ritmos que vibran en el fondo de cada ser humano. Usted sintoniza Radio El Saber del Hombre".

sanjuanito, sanjuanero"Sanjuanito de otros tiempos" - Los Corazas"Longuita mía" - Hermanos Castro y Bolívar Ortiz

The samples are Ecuadorian; this style is also found in Northern Peru.Find an Andean music catalog at Tumi Music .

huayno"Sueño de mi esperanza" - Los Reales de Cajamarca"Amor pendiente" - Los Reales de Cajamarcasample by Los Pacharacos  (in Quechua)"Flor de Huancayo" - Grupo Norte Potosísample by El Jilguero del Huascarán

A style familiar to any listener of Peruvian radio.The two Los Reales samples are from Northern Peru. The audio quality for these is as received from Radio Gotas de Oro (now Radio Uno), in Chiclayo. Not very ideal, but still better than on some of the Peruvians that play the music. The stations on 4420, 4460, and 4485 kHz would be typical examples.Grupo Norte Potosí is a Bolivian charango group. The selection is the "anthem" of the town of Huancayo, Peru.El Jilguero del Huascarán, whose real name is Ernesto Sánchez Fajardo, is one of the biggest shots in Peruvian music. You hear his tunes everywhere, anytime. He passed away several years ago.Discos Virrey is a Peruvian record label.

huayño"Tu partida" - Grupo Norte Potosí

From Bolivia.

huaylas"Huaylas de mi tierra" - La Norteñita"Pío Pío" - Los Shapis

A Peruvian style.La Nortenita is a singer from Trujillo; "Pío Pío" has recently been adopted by the Bolivian Radio Pío XII, Siglo XX, as an ID cue.

yaravi Popular in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.

chicha"El serranito" - Los Shapis "Maldigo la hora" - Princesita Mery singing with Pintura Roja group

Modern urban Peruvian blend of huayno and cumbia.Many samples at Chichaweb.

lambada"Llorando se fue" - Los K'jarkas

This is the original version, a Bolivian saya, which was readapated in the early 80´s by the Peruvian group Cuarteto Continental and a couple of years later presented internationally as "Lambada" by the Brazilian group Kaoma. In a subsequent lawsuit, Gonzalo and Ulises Hermoza, Los K´jarkas, claimed and gained the authorship of the tune.Eveline Rocha claims that Llorando se fue is actually a caporales, not a saya. Visit her site for more information on Bolivian music and dance.

Andean Valleys &

Regions East

guabina, torbellino"Agáchate el sombrerito" - Los Tolimenses

An old Colombian style, seldom heard nowadays.

of the Cordillera

pasillo"Mis flores negras" - Espinoza y Bedoya

This is the Colombian brand of pasillo, rarely heard nowadays. See also Andean Regions of Ecuador, Peru & Bolivia.

bambuco"Brisas del Torbes" - Ofelia Ramón

Venezuela and Columbia. The sample is the signature tune for Ecos del Torbes (4980 kHz) in San Cristóbal, Venezuela.

joropo"Kirpa" - Los Copleros del Arauca

From the plains (llanos) of Venezuela and Eastern Colombia, joropo and pasaje are referred to as música llanera.The standard instrumental line-up for música llanera is arpa, cuatro y maracas. This is also the name of a longstanding music show on Venezuelan Radio Táchira, 4830 kHz.

pasaje"Sinfonía del palmar" - Juan Vicente Torrealba

Venezuela and Colombia. (There is a non-related style called pasaje in Colombian vallenato.

carrilera"La Cuchilla" - Hermanas Calle

From Colombia, a local type of corrido, also known as guasca.In the sample, a woman is desperately looking for her lover. She runs from one saloon to another to see if she can find him. If she does, she will see to it that he'll get a razor-blade scar on both cheeks. That will help him remember who he belongs to, the lyrics say... (The initial part of this story is readily to be heard on the sample.)

taquirari A Bolivian style.

bailecitosample by Grupo Norte Potosí

A Bolivian style, featuring the Bolivian charango instrument.

Pacific Coastline of

Perumarinera-resbalosa

From Lima.There are examples of the marinera limeña and marinera norteña, the huylash, and many other styles at the home page of the musical groups Expresion Latina y Raices Peruanas .

marinera norteña From Chiclayo and Trujillo.

vals criollo"Después que te perdí" - Los Embajadores

Bolivia, Northern Chile, NW Argentina

bailecitosample by Grupo Norte Potosí

Bolivian music

vidala From Argentina. vidala, zamba, and chacarera are called música de tierra adentro.

zamba"Luna tucumana" - Los Chalchaleros

The zamba is at the core of Argentinian folklore.

chacarera Argentinian. See also La Pagina del Folklore Argentino.

cueca Heard in Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile.

Paraguay "Litoral"

(Corrientes, Misiones)

guaraniaA Paraguayan style.You may enjoy visiting the Musica Paraguaya web site, Fa -Re- Mi.

galopera Another style from Paraguay.

chamamésample by Raúl Barbosa

From the province of Corrientes, Argentina.

River Plate Area

candombe"Yo Tambien" - Grupo del Cuareim

Candombe is a typical Afro-Uruguayan style from the "Rio de la Plata" (River Plate), and a living tradition. It also co-existed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but in the XIX century and due to war and other factors the Afro-Argentinian community disappeared.The basic sound is the drum beating, without any other instrument, using three bass drums: bombo, the rhythmic repique, pianowith a tenor sound, and chico for a high-pitched sound.This sample adds melody, choir and other instruments. Candombe is now one of the basic sounds for Uruguayan contemporary music, along with the murga.Visit the Candombe   web site .

candomblé Uruguay, also Brazil. Distinct style from candombe.Not heard much except at carnival time.

 cumbia villera Contemporary blend of urban canción de protesta, punk and rock.

milonga"La puñalada" - Osvaldo Fresedo y su Orquesta Típica

Argentina and Uruguay.

tango"El entrerriano" - Orquesta Nicolás D'Alessandro

Argentina and Uruguay. "El entrerriano" was the first tango.See the Top 100 Tango recordings.

Brazil sertanejasample from the Nordeste sample supposedly from the Minas Gerais area

Sertaneja music in Brazil is what the vallenato is to Colombia and the ranchera is to Mexico.

samba"O século do samba" - Mangueira Samba School"Vai Passar" - Chico Buarque de Holanda

The music of the Brazilian Carnaval, also known as pagode.Mangueira is an escola de samba from Rio de Janeiro.A place to buy rare Brazilian records at auction is Mara Records.

forró"Alapucha" - Os Farropos sample by Elba Ramalho

Especially popular in the Nordeste.

baiãosample baião

Luiz Gonzaga is known as "O Rei do baião".

axé"Tic Tic Tac" - Banda Eva

Popular music of Salvador da Bahia. See the Axé Music Site.