paleros, salve and gaga

london777

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Dec 22, 2005
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In an item in today's Daily News on this site about promoting the Monte Plata area, we are promised performances (?) of "paleros, salve and gaga".

All three words are new to me in this context. Could someone kindly explain what they are?
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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They are traditional folk expressions with African roots.

Gag? is related to Haitian rar?. Rara - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Salve is a call-and-response type of singing that uses g?ira, panderos, atabales and other African instruments. Salves are highly ceremonial and are used in pilgrimages and at parties dedicated to saints. Salve is related to palo that is played in a lot of the same contexts, but with different instruments and rhythms. The name comes from the Salve Regina, a catholic psalm, and many still sing a sacred, a cappella salve that preserves the medieval modes of old Spanish hymns. The ecstatic salve played at religious parties however, is all about percussion – featuring large numbers of tambourines playing interlocking rhythms and a melodic drum called the balsie, whose player alters the pitch by applying pressure with his foot. Salve may be played in fewer parts of the country but it’s one of the best-known sounds, largely because it’s the sound of choice in Villa Mella, a poor suburb of the capital often thought of as the epicenter of Afro-Dominican traditions. The salve group of Enerolisa Nu?ez, from Villa Mella, is one of the most widely listened to - thanks to her inclusion in merengue-star Kinito M?ndez's salve-merengue fusion album A Palo Limpio as well as an excellent recording of her group by the Bayahonda Cultural Foundation.


Palo is a Dominican sacred music that can be found through the island. The drum and human voice are the principal instruments. Palo is played at religious ceremonies - usually coinciding with saint's days - as well as for secular parties and special occasions. Its roots are in the Congo region of central-west Africa, but it is mixed with European influences in the melodies. Palos are related to Dominican folk Catholicism, which includes a pantheon of deities/saints (here termed misterios) much like those found in the Afro-American syncretic religious traditions of Cuba, Brazil, Haiti, and elsewhere. Palos are usually associated with the lower class, black and mixed populations. They can be seen in different regions of Dominican Republic, but with variations.
Palo music is played on long drums termed palos.The word palos means trees, and therefore all Dominican palos drums are instruments made from hollowed out logs. The head of the drum is made of cowhide and it is attached to the log portion with hoops and pegs in the Eastern region, or with nails in the Southwest. There is a master drum (palo mayor) which is the large, wide drum played with slimmer drums (alcahuetes) alongside: two in the East or three elsewhere. Palos are usually played with guiras, which are metal scrapers. They may also be played with maracas, or a little stick used to hit the master drum, called the cat?. The Dominican region in which the palos are played determines the form, the number of the instruments, and how they are played.
Palos are associated with the Afro- Dominican brotherhoods called cofrad?as. Originally, the brotherhoods were composed solely of males. As time progressed, females and family inheritance maintained the brotherhoods’ sanctity. Each brotherhood is devoted to a particular saint. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the brotherhood is to honor the saint with a festival. Historically, cofrad?as were established on principals similar to those of the Mediterranean guild-based societies and those founded by Africans that inhabited southern Spain. Through colonization and the slave trade, these traditions were brought to the Dominican Republic. However, the cofrad?as are not limited to the Dominican Republic, they are found in other parts of the Americas as well, where they may be adapted to Native-American folk Catholicism, particularly in Mexico and Central America.
Palo music is generally played at festivals honoring saints (velaciones) or during other religious events. The configuration of instruments present depends on the region in which these events take place. Palo drums are played with the hands, held between the legs, and tied to the palero's waist by a rope. The three paleros each play a distinct beat on their palos, which ultimately blend together. These rhythms vary depending on the region as well. For example, in the East, the "palo corrido" rhythm is popular, while in San Crist?bal, one may be more likely to find the "palo abajo" rhythm. While they play their drums, one of the paleros simultaneously sings verses of a song. The surrounding audience and the rest of the paleros repeat the chorus of the song after each verse, taking on the call-and-response form present in many Congolese musical genres, emphasizing the genre's African roots. Contrastingly, however, the lyrics of these songs are often based in Catholic tradition; honoring saints, etc. These religious songs are played towards the beginning of these festivals, and, as they progress, become increasingly secular, their main purpose being to provide entertainment and something to dance to. Sacred palo music that is played at ceremonies often invokes spirits of ancestors or saints, and it is not unusual to encounter participants becoming possessed at these events.
Music of the Dominican Republic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia