Venezuelan polka
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The venezuelan polka is a hall dance that has its origin in Europe at the beginning of the XIX century and arrives to Venezuela in the middle of that century.
Polka has not been recognized like a venezuelan sort, but many composers have loaded it with venezuelan characteristics. The bands that consolidated the polka at the end of the XIX century occupied to integrate in their repertoire these compositions, guaranteeing the life of the polka in the country.
For the time that arrived the polka to Venezuela, the hall dances constituted the most important entertainments for the ladies of the high society, which was organized by musical turns that were made up generally of waltzes, polka, danzas and other pieces like mazurca, were executed with a rhythmical character different from the european dances. In these hall dances although occur at the time that the social structure of the colony was conserved, attenuated the differences between targets, creole people and afro-venezuelan people. These last ones accompanied the ladies to the dance, observed their steps and later practicing them. This attitude has been one of the reasons of the incorporation of polka and other sorts to the popular tradition.
[edit] Popular polka
The popular polka is cultivated fundamentally in center the west and the Andes, becoming it present in the instrumental ambient of popular dances and many traditional celebrations throughout Venezuela. In Lara, in the popular dances, is interpreted with violins, cuatros, guitars and tambora, alternating itself with waltzes, merengues and joropo. In the Barinas state polka is the musical expression that accompanies the devils of Corpus Christi, that in June 24 and July 5 dance around a tape wood of which they tile and they unravel. In the Sucre state polka animates the Diversion oriental that treats about social problems or of well-known health problems like the Mosquito patas blancas.
In the states Trujillo and Táchira, polka remains as form of dance in the Pato Bombeao and the dance of the dwarves and the doll of the Calenda of the Trujillo state, the personages dance one polka that is interpreted by violins, mandolin, Tambourine, maracas, cuatro and tambora. And in the states Apure and Bolívar a dance that is known as the Paloteo is animated with the interpretation of the polka.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Atlas de Tradiciones de Venezuela, Fundación Bigott, 1998.
