Bumbac the calypso drum
Bumbac the calypso drum
Hello my dear Steemians, I hope you are well anywhere in the world. This publication will be destined to develop a theme of cultural interest and will serve to contextualize a little to my followers of the place where I live, to shape those particularities that are born of the people as the creative subject.
The musical Caribbean
Talking about the Caribbean is very different from living in the Caribbean. It is common to find in Hollywood productions movies of pirates looking for treasures or a wealthy man lying in a hammock under a coconut palm drinking piña colada. That's why my intention is to move the reader to the real Caribbean that is not shown on movie screens.
To speak of the Venezuelan Caribbean I will use as an excuse the story of a percussion instrument, the Bumbac is a drum whose function is to serve as the basis for a genre called Calypso Venezolano. This is one of the many genres that were born in the misnamed new world. Genres with cadences in minor tones that sound nostalgic but impregnated with an energy that at times makes you forget the bitterness suffered by these people mistreated and enslaved by three empires, Spanish, English, and French.
African slaves grew sugar cane. they were not allowed to talk to each other. the need arose to use an alternative means of communication.
source
It is interesting to note the social and critical content that handle rhythms such as Salsa or merengue, cumbia or Calypso itself, which not only achieved a harmonious musicality to make the human body dance very fast moving their hips, these genres tell a story of slavery, a history of the past, an effective means of communication with which they managed to maintain their identity, the most genuine of their origins intact through time.
steelband appeared after the abolition of slavery by the 60's´s.
source
The Calypso is a genre born in Trinidad and Tobago una island located on the east coast in front of Venezuela. The enslaved Africans were in charge of gestation of this cultural manifestation, they used it to meet at night and the primitive name it had was "Caya" which technically was a song, which means when people get together for some kind of reason.
Calypso Rose is one of the greatest exhibitors of the Caribbean genre in Trinity..
source
After the abolition of slavery, the English in their eternal quest for gold for the British crown moved a group of African descendants to English Guyana which in turn is bordering the Callao Venezuela one of the gold people most referenced by historians and seekers of the aforementioned Dorado.
The Bumbac in its beginnings
The Africans came to Callao in the 18th century to work in agriculture and extract gold. They brought their cultural identity to these lands and so they innovated again, managing to build another drum with some particularities different from the drum they had built in Trinidad and Tobago.
cowhide detail. Primitive Bumbac.
To achieve the almost perfect confection, they saw in the oak barrels that were used to store rum and wine or gunpowder, the perfect cylinder for the construction of the drum, then with remains of cattle leather or goat that cut to perfection they were able to tie to the barrel and this way the production of the first drums with which they executed the same calypso that they had already composed in Trinitarian lands was finished.
Wooden Bumbac, very similar to the first drums
these drums tend to get out of tune so they are left in the sun to temper the leather and restore its musical properties.
This means that the cultural transference remained intact during this voyage.
But the development of the Calypso in Trinidad and Tobago was not the same, there the drum was stylized and ended up becoming the current SteelDrum that first appeared in the 60's´s, metallic drum that was made thanks to the recycling of drums used to store hydraulic oil or petroleum derivatives. While in Venezuela the manufacture of Bumbac remained almost intact, the difference is that today synthetic leather is used as a membrane, since cowhide has to be tempered in the sun or with fire for tuning. And the wood is industrial veneer which undoubtedly gives a much lighter weight to the primitive drum.
the metal ring has nuts to securely hold the leather.
Manufacture of drums Bumbac, Calypso all year round.
The Calypso has expanded to all the length and width of the State Bolívar, commonly this musical genre is executed in the epoch of Carnivals because thus it was chosen by its interpreters as the epoch of the year to meet and to make a gigantic party where they can play the genre during all the assets.
Nowadays this rhythm is not only played during the carnival season, it is played all year round. It is normal to see a weekend some celebration where you can hear some drums playing calypso. But who makes these drums today? That's how a few meters from my house I met Mr. José Gregorio Lugo, popularly known as Lugo Kaikó who has been making Bumbac drums and other instruments used to play the popular rhythm for more than 29 years.
Mr Lugo is one of Calypso's most experienced drum builders in the region..
Lugo kaikó tells us that at the age of 14 he began his musical career and as a Bumbac drum builder with a group called "puertaerta" with which he learned the trade of playing calypso instruments and making them. In 1994 he formed his own group called Kaikó, which means music, reunion, party, song, and dance. The word has origin patois (patúa) that is a dialect that was formed in the Caribbean islands as a result of the use of the colonized parts of English, French and African languages.
their drums have a very modern style but do not lose the essence of the first drums..
Lugo has built to date some 5000 drums of Bumbac making it one of the most recognized builders of Ciudad Guayana. Only for America 2007 cup, they made him an order of 360 drums that he made in only one week with the participation of 5 people. Usually, this ingenious luthier works alone and sometimes his own family participates in helping him in some tasks that require the presence of more people.
Mr. lugo explaining the manufacturing process.
Aluminum rings are essential to maintain the cylindrical shape while building the Bumbac.
The manufacture begins with the selection of wood veneer which is very light after cutting the wood is bent to hold it with aluminum rings so you can nail it easily and place the corresponding reinforcements that will give strength and will make the drum stay in the common cylindrical shape, also drilled the holes where the ring that presses the membrane.
leather synthetic brand map.
All the elements are manufactured by Mr. Lugo, except the synthetic leathers that are trademarks known for use in battery. Thus we can notice that the modern manufacture of the drum is very simple in terms of manufacture. Once the drum is finished, it is painted in the color indicated by the person who orders it. Due to the country situation that crosses Venezuela currently only built by orders. In the past, 25 drums were made monthly, so says our friend Lugo.
Synthetic leathers provide a continuous refinement without resorting to the cumbersome process of sun-tempering.
The musical group Kaikó since its inception was designed as a fundamental objective to investigate, disseminate and project several popular Venezuelan rhythms being the Venezuelan calypso the most emphasized for being the most representative of the region.
part of Kaikó drum production.
The group has 4 record productions being the fourth recorded along with the group Junior Kaikó children's academic group thus manage to maintain a seedbed of new members who are taught to play the Caribbean genre.
Calypso Kaikó Group Logo .
Currently, the group Kaikó is investigating the instrument to give a specific musical tuning, this drum does not have a tuning like other instruments such as congas or timbales or the same battery which makes it very difficult to maintain an order in the different compositions that have made other groups in the region.
Product seal .
The factory not only manufactures drums Bumbac also manufactures other drums like cumacos, charrascas, drums of gaita.
The Seedbed. "Children singers of Bellavista"
Children receive free music classes.
Andreina Jaramillo explaining the origin of Calypso
Andreina Jaramillo is approximately 20 years old forming children through a non-profit organization that she founded with the name of Niños Cantores de Bellavista, Bellavista is the name of a community that has high rates of violent deaths and traffic of stolen cars, the idea of forming a musical group was to rescue children and move them away from violence and mafias through the sustained teaching of musical workshops.
Andreina Jaramillo.
In this way, Andreina has worked with more than 50 children and currently prepares a new generation.
Children learn by references from Andreina blow to blow .
The Bumbac drum can be played sitting or standing depending on the occasion..
The singing children not only learn to play Calypso, they also learn other musical genres of Venezuelan popular culture. Like the Parranda, Galerón, Joropo oriental in others. The music classes given by Andreina are completely free, and in some cases has the support of the government or private sector. Due to the economic situation in Venezuela, she often has to finance events for the children's performances.
Disease is not an obstacle for this brave man to learn to play..
Children take music classes very seriously.
The children who participate in Andreina's program are of scarce resources, a close bond has been maintained between the representatives and the organization, supporting them with their own resources.
Some of the children already know the gender .
At this time of school holidays, the organization actively organizes a plan of musical workshops for new members achieving the participation of 6 children, some of them already had knowledge about calypso, the central idea of this workshop is to attract new members for "the children singers of Bella Vista".
these are the instruments with which the Venezuelan calypso is executed
Bell.
Charrasca
Cuatro.
Bumbac with cowhide.
Bumbac with synthetic leather
Venezuelan Calypso
source
After 300 years or so since the calypso was gestured until today not only trinidad and tobago and other Caribbean islands play the popular rhythm, also in Venezuela follows the tradition with some different nuances. the important thing is that the tradition does not die.
So far this small but significant publication that shows the origins and topics of the current Calypso
I hope it was to your liking. Thank you for reading.
SPECIAL PUBLICATION FOR STEEMIT
Hello my dear Steemians, I hope you are well anywhere in the world. This publication will be destined to develop a theme of cultural interest and will serve to contextualize a little to my followers of the place where I live, to shape those particularities that are born of the people as the creative subject.
The musical Caribbean
Talking about the Caribbean is very different from living in the Caribbean. It is common to find in Hollywood productions movies of pirates looking for treasures or a wealthy man lying in a hammock under a coconut palm drinking piña colada. That's why my intention is to move the reader to the real Caribbean that is not shown on movie screens.
To speak of the Venezuelan Caribbean I will use as an excuse the story of a percussion instrument, the Bumbac is a drum whose function is to serve as the basis for a genre called Calypso Venezolano. This is one of the many genres that were born in the misnamed new world. Genres with cadences in minor tones that sound nostalgic but impregnated with an energy that at times makes you forget the bitterness suffered by these people mistreated and enslaved by three empires, Spanish, English, and French.
African slaves grew sugar cane. they were not allowed to talk to each other. the need arose to use an alternative means of communication.
source
It is interesting to note the social and critical content that handle rhythms such as Salsa or merengue, cumbia or Calypso itself, which not only achieved a harmonious musicality to make the human body dance very fast moving their hips, these genres tell a story of slavery, a history of the past, an effective means of communication with which they managed to maintain their identity, the most genuine of their origins intact through time.
steelband appeared after the abolition of slavery by the 60's´s.
source
The Calypso is a genre born in Trinidad and Tobago una island located on the east coast in front of Venezuela. The enslaved Africans were in charge of gestation of this cultural manifestation, they used it to meet at night and the primitive name it had was "Caya" which technically was a song, which means when people get together for some kind of reason.
Calypso Rose is one of the greatest exhibitors of the Caribbean genre in Trinity..
source
After the abolition of slavery, the English in their eternal quest for gold for the British crown moved a group of African descendants to English Guyana which in turn is bordering the Callao Venezuela one of the gold people most referenced by historians and seekers of the aforementioned Dorado.
The Bumbac in its beginnings
The Africans came to Callao in the 18th century to work in agriculture and extract gold. They brought their cultural identity to these lands and so they innovated again, managing to build another drum with some particularities different from the drum they had built in Trinidad and Tobago.
cowhide detail. Primitive Bumbac.
To achieve the almost perfect confection, they saw in the oak barrels that were used to store rum and wine or gunpowder, the perfect cylinder for the construction of the drum, then with remains of cattle leather or goat that cut to perfection they were able to tie to the barrel and this way the production of the first drums with which they executed the same calypso that they had already composed in Trinitarian lands was finished.
Wooden Bumbac, very similar to the first drums
these drums tend to get out of tune so they are left in the sun to temper the leather and restore its musical properties.
This means that the cultural transference remained intact during this voyage.
But the development of the Calypso in Trinidad and Tobago was not the same, there the drum was stylized and ended up becoming the current SteelDrum that first appeared in the 60's´s, metallic drum that was made thanks to the recycling of drums used to store hydraulic oil or petroleum derivatives. While in Venezuela the manufacture of Bumbac remained almost intact, the difference is that today synthetic leather is used as a membrane, since cowhide has to be tempered in the sun or with fire for tuning. And the wood is industrial veneer which undoubtedly gives a much lighter weight to the primitive drum.
the metal ring has nuts to securely hold the leather.
Manufacture of drums Bumbac, Calypso all year round.
The Calypso has expanded to all the length and width of the State Bolívar, commonly this musical genre is executed in the epoch of Carnivals because thus it was chosen by its interpreters as the epoch of the year to meet and to make a gigantic party where they can play the genre during all the assets.
Nowadays this rhythm is not only played during the carnival season, it is played all year round. It is normal to see a weekend some celebration where you can hear some drums playing calypso. But who makes these drums today? That's how a few meters from my house I met Mr. José Gregorio Lugo, popularly known as Lugo Kaikó who has been making Bumbac drums and other instruments used to play the popular rhythm for more than 29 years.
Mr Lugo is one of Calypso's most experienced drum builders in the region..
Lugo kaikó tells us that at the age of 14 he began his musical career and as a Bumbac drum builder with a group called "puertaerta" with which he learned the trade of playing calypso instruments and making them. In 1994 he formed his own group called Kaikó, which means music, reunion, party, song, and dance. The word has origin patois (patúa) that is a dialect that was formed in the Caribbean islands as a result of the use of the colonized parts of English, French and African languages.
their drums have a very modern style but do not lose the essence of the first drums..
Lugo has built to date some 5000 drums of Bumbac making it one of the most recognized builders of Ciudad Guayana. Only for America 2007 cup, they made him an order of 360 drums that he made in only one week with the participation of 5 people. Usually, this ingenious luthier works alone and sometimes his own family participates in helping him in some tasks that require the presence of more people.
Mr. lugo explaining the manufacturing process.
Aluminum rings are essential to maintain the cylindrical shape while building the Bumbac.
The manufacture begins with the selection of wood veneer which is very light after cutting the wood is bent to hold it with aluminum rings so you can nail it easily and place the corresponding reinforcements that will give strength and will make the drum stay in the common cylindrical shape, also drilled the holes where the ring that presses the membrane.
leather synthetic brand map.
All the elements are manufactured by Mr. Lugo, except the synthetic leathers that are trademarks known for use in battery. Thus we can notice that the modern manufacture of the drum is very simple in terms of manufacture. Once the drum is finished, it is painted in the color indicated by the person who orders it. Due to the country situation that crosses Venezuela currently only built by orders. In the past, 25 drums were made monthly, so says our friend Lugo.
Synthetic leathers provide a continuous refinement without resorting to the cumbersome process of sun-tempering.
The musical group Kaikó since its inception was designed as a fundamental objective to investigate, disseminate and project several popular Venezuelan rhythms being the Venezuelan calypso the most emphasized for being the most representative of the region.
part of Kaikó drum production.
The group has 4 record productions being the fourth recorded along with the group Junior Kaikó children's academic group thus manage to maintain a seedbed of new members who are taught to play the Caribbean genre.
Calypso Kaikó Group Logo .
Currently, the group Kaikó is investigating the instrument to give a specific musical tuning, this drum does not have a tuning like other instruments such as congas or timbales or the same battery which makes it very difficult to maintain an order in the different compositions that have made other groups in the region.
Product seal .
The factory not only manufactures drums Bumbac also manufactures other drums like cumacos, charrascas, drums of gaita.
The Seedbed. "Children singers of Bellavista"
Children receive free music classes.
Andreina Jaramillo explaining the origin of Calypso
Andreina Jaramillo is approximately 20 years old forming children through a non-profit organization that she founded with the name of Niños Cantores de Bellavista, Bellavista is the name of a community that has high rates of violent deaths and traffic of stolen cars, the idea of forming a musical group was to rescue children and move them away from violence and mafias through the sustained teaching of musical workshops.
Andreina Jaramillo.
In this way, Andreina has worked with more than 50 children and currently prepares a new generation.
Children learn by references from Andreina blow to blow .
The Bumbac drum can be played sitting or standing depending on the occasion..
The singing children not only learn to play Calypso, they also learn other musical genres of Venezuelan popular culture. Like the Parranda, Galerón, Joropo oriental in others. The music classes given by Andreina are completely free, and in some cases has the support of the government or private sector. Due to the economic situation in Venezuela, she often has to finance events for the children's performances.
Disease is not an obstacle for this brave man to learn to play..
Children take music classes very seriously.
The children who participate in Andreina's program are of scarce resources, a close bond has been maintained between the representatives and the organization, supporting them with their own resources.
Some of the children already know the gender .
At this time of school holidays, the organization actively organizes a plan of musical workshops for new members achieving the participation of 6 children, some of them already had knowledge about calypso, the central idea of this workshop is to attract new members for "the children singers of Bella Vista".
these are the instruments with which the Venezuelan calypso is executed
Bell.
Charrasca
Cuatro.
Bumbac with cowhide.
Bumbac with synthetic leather
Venezuelan Calypso
source
After 300 years or so since the calypso was gestured until today not only trinidad and tobago and other Caribbean islands play the popular rhythm, also in Venezuela follows the tradition with some different nuances. the important thing is that the tradition does not die.
So far this small but significant publication that shows the origins and topics of the current Calypso
I hope it was to your liking. Thank you for reading.
I would occasionally listen to beats from this genre. It never crossed my thought how deep its origins can be. It reminds me of the origins of Jazz since there are similarities on how these music genre got established. Beyond the trivia of the drums, I'm interested in how learning how to play them has encouraged more programs for human development.
I'm glad there are programs out there that cater to the less fortunate and help them learn stuff which they could draw in some additional income or keep them off from bad habits. In my country, teaching kids how to play sports or play instruments have helped produce some livelihood.
hello friend, the origin of all the afordescending rhythms are the same. african slaves brought to america brought with them part of their cultural identity which gave birth to the different musical rhythms in america.
If the musical education program is very good, it helps the progress of all and enriches the culture. @adamada
That's such an interesting subject to explore. I am of the Annang/Ibibio tribe in southern Nigeria (somewhere in West Africa) and I have learnt that the calypso music has origins from my native people who were sold into slavery in the Caribbeans. Down here we have a native dance called "ka iso" (which literally translates to going forward), where the dancers make forward dancing movements while passing below a cross bar that keeps getting lowered to make it even more difficult to dance under. The music that accompanies this dance I learnt is what morphed into calypso, as the tradition was exported in slave ships. There is a feature of this dance in one of Boney M's videos I can't remember the exact one right now.
Around me too I can easily find a local drum maker who still makes the instrument from real animal hides and wood sourced from huge logs. Glad the culture has taken roots in Venezuela. And interesting always to discover how we all connect.
wow it is very exciting to find someone who is connected to my origins. although it is white I feel afrodescendant. it is only enough to be born in this beautiful land Venezuela. just Kai is very similar to Kaikó although the Spanish translation would be more like Dance, party, collective meeting where they celebrate. ... not only is the calypso there are many manifestations that come from African roots and all are different. all undoubtedly a sample of the struggle to keep the origins intact. some of these traditions have been going on for 400 years. i invite you to review these two works related to African deities.
https://steemit.com/venezuela/@arrozymangophoto/the-cuatro-musical-soul-of-the-popular-venezuelan-culture
https://steemit.com/venezuela/@arrozymangophoto/celebration-of-saint-john-baptist-in-venezuela
Pleasure. Thank you for reading.
Funny how the languages here kinda intertwine at some point. "Ka iso" actually means "You have reached" in Hausa..
Hi arrozymangophoto,
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I have never really known this much about drums, this post is just eye-opening. A well researched and detailed post...
The beats from the Kaikó band is just amazing, one can't easily resist dancing to those beats, even if the dance wouldn't make sense. lol. And Calypso Rose's song? Its just humorous..
hello @audreybits . in short, the richness of the African root culture in america is rich in variants, although everywhere, it doesn't matter if it's in Venzuela or in ecuador or in usa the rhythms are very similar.
Yeah, there is always that similarity...
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Congratulation on your curie vote. I always love the sound of calypso drum. It very unique compare to other drum. But i didn't know the making of the drum was so complicated. Next in my to do list would be to have one of this calypso drum after read your article. We need to appreciate on this type of drum as the making process not easy compare to modern drum.
Blessing.
Hello @oliviackl thank you very much for reading. ... you know that the construction of the Bumbac in comparison with other drums in Venezuela that are much more complicated to build. In fact some are 100 years old apart from complicated drums are extremely well built to last perpetually.
Thank you for the information. Wow 100 years, I bet it very valuable now. If I have that piece, I think i will properly keep it and just to worry it get scratches :)
hello @arrozymangophoto tremendous story that I did not know where the calypso came from, Bumbac from Trinidad and Tobago to Guyana with the rest of the cow made the drum truth you won a golden vote @arrozymangophoto I live in Venezuela I did not know this story and so much that I like to dance the calypso thanks for sharing the good post friend @neymarth10
Brother, it's so nice to know one more part of our beautiful history.
Ame tu publicación de principio a fin, porque soy Venezolana <3 y aunque sea Venezolana hay cosas que nos explicaste que no sabía, y te agradezco enormemente que hayas traído un poco de nuestra cultura aquí a Steemit.. Un verdadero post de Calidad, un abrazo paisano @arrozymangophoto
Muchisimas gracias belleza. ser Venezolano me enorgullece tanto como a ti.
howdy from Texas arrozymangohoto! wow that's some username ya got there! Well this is a great post, with the amount of research and knowledge and history that went into making it I think it's super impressive.
I had no idea about the entire cultural surroundings of Calypso music and the making of the Bumbac drums, it's remarkable. Thanks for the videos too.
Are you a musician and that is why you have such an interest in this subject?
Greetings from Guayana Venezolana @janton. i am glad that people from other latitudes appreciate our culture and musical richness. answering your questions. i am indeed a musician. but i am also a photographer and puppeteer...i love to do archive and current documentary work.
howdy there arrozymangophoto! well sir it was really great and we sure do appreciate the handcrafted drums and the wonderful music and all of your work bringing it to us!