Uruguayan Music

Uruguayan music includes candombe, tango, and murga; all of which developed in the Río de la Plata basin, which includes Montevideo, Uruguay and Buenos Aires, Argentina, with each country developing its own interpretations and unique elements.

 As time has passed, candombe and murga have come to be considered mainly Uruguayan music forms, while tango is strongly associated with Argentina. With that said, it should be noted that Uruguay has made important contributions to tango’s development, and continues to have a vibrant tango music and tango dance culture.

Candombe

 Candombe is a form of Uruguayan music based on African-style drum rhythms (and an associated dance) that was developed by people of African heritage in the early 1800’s.

 In candombe there are three types of tambores (drums). The largest tambor, called a “tambor piano”, has the deepest sound. The middle sized drum is the “tambor repique”, which provides the main rhythm. Then, there is a small drum called “tambor chica” with the highest pitch.

 Each drum requires a separate drummer. Drummers wear their drum by a wide strap so they can play while parading. The drums are played with one hand and one drumstick. Each of the three drum types must be represented to form a complete candombe group, which is called a cuerda.  A cuerda can range in size from three drummers (the minimum) to a couple of dozen, or more.

Cuerdas are most numerous in Montevideo, but are also active in many communities throughout Uruguay. Small cuerdas of three can sometimes be seen playing for tips in popular tourism areas in Montevideo and Punta del Este during the summer months.  Larger neighborhood cuerdas of one to two dozen drummers can often be seen (and heard) practicing together and sometimes parading in their local neighborhoods. The cuerda will sometimes build a fire on the street, using the heat to tune their drums.

 Cuerdas are usually members of carnival parade groups known as comparsas. A comparsa is a Uruguayan music parade tradition with a cast of standard carnival characters, which include persons waving large flags and others holding images of a moon or stars on poles, a group of female dancers, an old man and an old woman, a man holding a stick or broom, AND a cuerda of candombe drummers.

 During Carnival season comparsas go from town to town to participate in local carnival parades. The largest and most popular of these parades is Las Llamadas (the calls) in Montevideo.

 Although Candombe groups today are comprised by people of many different racial and cultural backgrounds, the Candombe drum rhythm as a Uruguayan music form, its associated dance, and the costumes worn by cuerdas in Carnival parades, all remain a conscious tribute to the heritage of African-Uruguayans.

Play this short video clip to hear the rhythm of Candombe.

Link to 11 minute candombe documentary

 

Tango

Tango is a music genre (as well as a dance) developed in the Río de la Plata basin by people of European heritage in the mid to late 1800’s. Tango was influenced by many European music forms as well as milonga (a regional predecessor to tango) and candombe. In fact, the name "tango" is derived from the candombe term tangó which was used to describe the tambor (drum) and the accompanying dance of candombe.

 Tango music may be instrumental or include a singing accompaniment. A tango orchestra traditionally included a piano, guitar, violin, double bass, and an accordion-like instrument called a bandoneón. (However, these days it is more common to see a piano accordion than a banoneón.)

 The most well-known figure in tango music is Uruguayan born singer/songwriter Carlos Gardel, who, along with songwriter Alfredo le Pera, wrote such tango classics as Volver and Por una Cabeza.  Gardel toured South America, New York, Europe, and acted in Hollywood films in the early 1930’s, spreading the music of tango all over the world.

 One of the most popular tango songs of all time is Cumparsita written in Montevideo by Gerardo Matos Rodríguez  in 1919.

Play this video clip tohear Carlos Gardel sing Cumparsita.

 

Murga

Between 1906 and 1910 an acting company from Cadiz, Spain came to Montevideo. Their performance was so unsuccessful that they ended up acting on the streets in an effort to raise money to pay their production debt and get back home. The following year a group of Uruguayan actors made a parody about the plight of the Spanish acting company, which became the first Uruguayan Murga.

While murga exists in Spain and Argentina, it has developed into a unique Uruguayan music form that is performed at the Parque Rodo amphitheater and other outdoor venues during Uruguay’s Carnival celebration. It is comprised of a chorus with mostly percussion accompaniment. The lyrics are often a comic satire of events that occurred the preceding year.

The players wear masquerade-style costumes and while the singing is structured, it is a Uruguayan music form sung in a deliberately flattish tone. (Perhaps a trait from the original parody?)