African

Musical
Instrumen
ts
 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 hand
2. slide gourd up and down stick quickly, in rhythm
3. touch seed pod to handle in rhythm, which changes/amplifies the sound of the the sliding gourd
hint: 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
Americ
a
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 balada
Latin Adult Contemporary.
many areas "Quererte a ti" - Angela Angela Carrasco is from the Dominican Republic.
Carrasco

bolero Popular in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and

criollo areas of the Andean countries.
"Mil besos" - Los
Los Embajadores is an Ecuadorian trio.
Embajadores
"Sombras" is originally a tango.
 "Sombras" - Felipe See also Boleros: Everblooming Flowers for Everlasting Love
Pirela

Of Spanish heritage, the pasodoble is heard as an intro or as a

pasodoble change of mood in dance parties in Spain, Mexico, Central
"España, mi bella America, Venezuela and Colombia which have one thing in
España" - Mariachi Garibaldi common: they allow bullfights, which are banned, for
example, in Argentina.

tropical
Colombian: 
"La palomita" - Los Titanes
Peruvian (cumbia
tropical andina):
"La colegiala" - Rodolfo y su
tipica In Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia also
Bolivian (cumbia called tropical andina; in Venezuela, tropical tecnopop.
boliviana): A great web source for Latin music of all kinds is Descarga.
"El pavo y la pava"
"La cerveza" (a "classic")
Venezuelan (tropical
tecnopop):
"Ay amor" - Los Melódicos
"Ella es" - Los Fantasmas del
Caribe

rock/rap in Spanish, locally produced in some metropolitan areas.

"Mami yo te quiero" - Qué pasa is a Venezuelan group. This theme was later
Qué pasa recorded by Panamanian rap specialist El General.

aguinaldo
Venezuelan:
Christmas carols, villancicos, particularly vigorous tradition in
"El cocuy que alumbra" - Un Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
solo pueblo
Puerto Rican

salsa
Caribbean:
"Yo no soy mentiroso" -
Monguito modernized way of playing Afro-Cuban music featuring
reinforced brass and percussion sections.
Colombian:
The Grupo Niche selections are examples of the "Cali Sound".
"Una aventura" - Grupo Niche "La negra no quiere" is from 1982 or so.
"La negra no quiere" - Grupo Oscar d'León is one of the foremost Venezuelan soneros.
Niche See Salsamania for a recording of his tune "Mentiras".
Colombian salsa See also Picadillo (The Starting Point for Salsa Surfers),
romantica: and Timba
"Verdades" - Hánsel Camacho
Venezuelan:
"Detalles" - Oscar d'Léon
Mexico and corrido (ranchera)
Central "El novillo despuntado"
corrido is also known as ranchera.
America - Las Jilguerillas
The second example is a ranchera used in serenatas for
Mexican  ranchera birthday greetings alongside with the well-known theme "Las
balada ranchera: mañanitas".
"Es demasiado tarde" - Ana
Gabriel

tejano tejano is also known as tex-mex.

"El Güero Polkas" - The late Selena is perhaps the most well known of
Flaco Jiménez all tejano artists.

son huasteco
son huapango Mexican styles, often played by mariachi orchestras.
son jarocho
son guatemalteco Featuring the marimba, the national instrument of Guatemala.

punto guanacasteco
Costa Rican audio samples: 

tonada
Nicaraguan:
"Clodomiro el Ñajo" - Carlos Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador.
Mejía Godoy y Los de
Palacagüina

pasillo Popular in El Salvador.

Caribbean danzón Old-time formal Cuban dance music. Played on the Sunday
Basin and "Rey de Reyes" - evening birthday greetings show on Radio Rebelde (5025 kHz
Surrounding Orquesta Siglo XX and many MW frequencies).
Areas
son
son originated in Cuba, and is now widely heard all over Latin
"Son de la loma" - Trío
America. The Trío Matamoros sample is a "classic"; there are
Matamoros dozens of salsa arrangements of this tune.
"Cómo se baila el son" - See also What the Soneros are Saying by Frank Figueroa.
La India de Oriente

guajira Cuban

rumba Afro-Cuban percussion and vocal style.

"El callejón de los See Décima and Rumba: Iberian formalism in the heart of
rumberos" - Yoruba Andabo Afro­Cuban song.

charanga
"Sabrosona" - Orquesta Cuban style with violins and flute. This sample is a "classic".
Aragon

pachanga Cuban
guaguancó Cuban. The title translates to "The station jumble" (referring to
the overcrowding of the broadcasting dial).
"El bochinche de las Interesting salsa vocabulary: SalsaLoca - "El diccionario y
emisoras" - Orquesta Novel lexico"

mambo
"Mambo No. 8" - Pérez Cuban big-band style.
Prado y su orquesta

cha cha chá

"Tres lindas cubanas" - A Cuban "classic".
Orquesta Aragón 

bomba
"El negrito bembón" - A Puerto Rican musical style.
Cortijo y su Combo

merengue
"O lo matas tú o lo mato
yo" - Jossie Estéban y La
Patrulla 15 From the Dominican Republic. The Ramón García sample is
"Compadre Pedro Juan" sort of a second national anthem of the Dominican Republic, a
- Ramón García, his saxophone beautiful rendering of a "classic".
and his Conjunto Típico Cibao Tambora y Güira is a page dedicated to all genres of the music
"La bilirrubina" - Juan from the Dominican Republic.
Luis Guerra y los 4-40
"A Pedir Su Mano" -
Juan Luis Guerra y los 4-40

bachata
A popular midtempo acoustic/electric style from the
"Gotas de pena" - Alex Dominican Republic.
Bueno

cumbia cumbia is popular in Colombia and Panama, with regional

Colombian:
"La pollera colorá" - Pedro
Salcedo y su orquesta
Mexican:
"Que bello" - La Sonora
Tropicana
cumbia peruana:
"La pastorcita" - Los Walkers
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.

A Colombian style. sabanero refers to the area west of the

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

Originally from Jamaica, now popular throughout the

reggae Caribbean.

Evolved from Trinidadian calpyso, now popular throughout

soca the Caribbean.

The most popular musical style in Guadeloupe, Martinique,

zouk French Guiana, and popular anywhere French is spoken.
"Zouk-La-Se Sel Kassav' is a popular group from the French Antilles. The title
Medikaman Nou Ni" - Kassav' of the sample translates to "zouk is the only medicine we
have".

hip hop/dance
"Candela" - Proyecto Venezuela, Panama, Caribbean basin, Peruvian jungle area
Uno

punta
 Fiesta - Banda Blanca  
This rhythm is popular along the Caribbean coastline of
Punta cumbia - Grupo Central America, especially Honduras
Kazzabe

Andean pasillo The Ecuadorian pasillo is very popular in northern Peru.

Regions of "Latidos" is an extremely typical example of this style.
"Adiós mi vida" - Los
Visit David Gleason's page for more about Ecuador and
Ecuador, Imbayas
Colombia.
Peru & "Latidos" - Hermanos
Castro y Bolívar Ortiz
Bolivia
danzante, pasacalle
"El chullita quiteño" -
Benítez y Valencia
"El chullita quiteño" -
Don Medardo y sus Players
albazo, tonada
sanjuanito, sanjuanero
"Sanjuanito de otros
tiempos" - Los Corazas
"Longuita mía" -
Hermanos Castro y Bolívar Ortiz
huayno
"Sueño de mi
esperanza" - Los Reales de
Cajamarca
"Amor pendiente" - Los
Reales de Cajamarca
sample by Los
Pacharacos (in Quechua)
"Flor de Huancayo" -
Grupo Norte Potosí
sample by El Jilguero
del Huascarán
huayño
"Tu partida" - Grupo
Norte Potosí
huaylas
"Huaylas de mi tierra" -
La Norteñita
"Pío Pío" - Los Shapis
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.
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".
The samples are Ecuadorian; this style is also found in
Northern Peru.
Find an Andean music catalog at Tumi Music.
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.
From Bolivia.
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 Modern urban Peruvian blend of huayno and cumbia.
"Maldigo la hora" - Many samples at Chichaweb.
Princesita Mery singing with
Pintura Roja group

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
lambada internationally as "Lambada" by the Brazilian group Kaoma.
"Llorando se fue" - Los In a subsequent lawsuit, Gonzalo and Ulises Hermoza, Los K
K'jarkas ´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 guabina, torbellino

Valleys & "Agáchate el An old Colombian style, seldom heard nowadays.
Regions East sombrerito" - Los Tolimenses
of the
Cordillera pasillo This is the Colombian brand of pasillo, rarely heard nowadays.
"Mis flores negras" - See also Andean Regions of Ecuador, Peru & Bolivia.
Espinoza y Bedoya

bambuco
Venezuela and Columbia. The sample is the signature tune for
"Brisas del Torbes" - Ecos del Torbes (4980 kHz) in San Cristóbal, Venezuela.
Ofelia Ramón

From the plains (llanos) of Venezuela and Eastern

joropo Colombia, joropo and pasaje are referred to as música llanera.
"Kirpa" - Los Copleros The standard instrumental line-up for música llanera is arpa,
del Arauca cuatro y maracas. This is also the name of a longstanding
music show on Venezuelan Radio Táchira, 4830 kHz.

pasaje
Venezuela and Colombia. (There is a non-related style
"Sinfonía del palmar" - called pasaje in Colombian vallenato.
Juan Vicente Torrealba

From Colombia, a local type of corrido, also known as guasca.

In the sample, a woman is desperately looking for her lover.
carrilera She runs from one saloon to another to see if she can find him.
"La Cuchilla" - If she does, she will see to it that he'll get a razor-blade scar on
Hermanas Calle 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.

bailecito A Bolivian style, featuring the Bolivian charango instrument.

 sample by Grupo Norte
Potosí

Pacific From Lima.

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

marinera norteña From Chiclayo and Trujillo.

vals criollo
"Después que te perdí" -
Los Embajadores

Bolivia, bailecito
Northern sample by Grupo Norte Bolivian music
Chile, NW Potosí
Argentina
From Argentina. vidala, zamba, and chacarera are
vidala called música de tierra adentro.

zamba
"Luna tucumana" - Los The zamba is at the core of Argentinian folklore.
Chalchaleros

chacarera Argentinian. See also La Pagina del Folklore Argentino.

cueca Heard in Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile.

Paraguay A Paraguayan style.

"Litoral" guarania You may enjoy visiting the Musica Paraguaya web site, Fa-Re-
Mi.
(Corrientes,
Misiones) galopera Another style from Paraguay.

chamamé
From the province of Corrientes, Argentina.
sample by Raúl Barbosa

River Plate Candombe is a typical Afro-Uruguayan style from the "Rio de

Area 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.
candombe The basic sound is the drum beating, without any other
"Yo Tambien" - Grupo instrument, using three bass drums: bombo, the
del Cuareim 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.

Contemporary blend of urban canción de protesta, punk and

 cumbia villera rock.

milonga
"La puñalada" - Argentina and Uruguay.
Osvaldo Fresedo y su Orquesta
Típica

tango
Argentina and Uruguay. "El entrerriano" was the first tango.
"El entrerriano" - See the Top 100 Tango recordings.
Orquesta Nicolás D'Alessandro

Brazil sertaneja
sample from the
Sertaneja music in Brazil is what the vallenato is to Colombia
Nordeste and the ranchera is to Mexico.
sample supposedly from
the Minas Gerais area

samba
The music of the Brazilian Carnaval, also known as pagode.
"O século do samba" -
Mangueira is an escola de samba from Rio de Janeiro.
Mangueira Samba School A place to buy rare Brazilian records at auction is Mara
"Vai Passar" - Chico Records.
Buarque de Holanda

forró
"Alapucha" - Os
Farropos Especially popular in the Nordeste.
sample by Elba
Ramalho

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

axé
"Tic Tic Tac" - Banda Popular music of Salvador da Bahia. See the Axé Music Site.
Eva