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Log inThe harp's heavenly sounds fill Paraguay
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The harp's heavenly sounds fill Paraguay
by Outspoken on Thu May 08, 2008 8:57 pm
The harp's heavenly sounds fill Paraguay
By Jack Chang
McClatchy Newspapers
ASUNCION, Paraguay — The sounds of heaven, plucked on 36 strings, fill the ramshackle houses and potholed streets of this sleepy capital.
Some of that music comes from the basement of harp master Adolfo Bernal , better known here as Papi Galan , who has spread the distinctive folksy strains of the Paraguayan harp all over the world.
The music also drifts from the living room of Cristian Ramon Portillo , a 14-year-old who says he's "enchanted" by the harp and aims to join his uncle, Martin Portillo , as one of the musical legends in this nation of 6.8 million people.
Paraguayans of all stripes have plucked the instrument since Jesuit missionaries first brought it to this impoverished, landlocked country nearly five centuries ago. Paraguayans have since made the harp their own, composing thousands of songs for it and even inventing their own smaller, more versatile version of the instrument.
Now, they want international recognition for their harp magic.
To be precise, Paraguayans want UNESCO , the United Nations' cultural wing, to designate their capital, Asuncion , "the world capital of the harp." They deserve no less, they say, for carrying the instrument's long legacy into the 21st century.
"The harps we have here are copies and maybe bad copies, but for us, they're perfect," said Bernal, who spent three decades playing in Europe and Brazil and builds his own pine-and-cedar harps in his basement. "You could be anywhere in the world, but as soon you hear one note, you know a Paraguayan's playing."
The local style is playful and quick and full of flourishes that Paraguayans call "fantasy," meaning echoing runs down the strings and improvisation. Musicians from around the world have copied the style. In Japan alone, as many as 3,000 people are studying the Paraguayan harp, musicians here said.
The music comes in two styles— a slower, more melancholy rhythm and the livelier polka, which, despite its name, doesn't features tubas or accordions. Harp legend Felix Perez Cardoso , who was born in 1908 and died in 1952, is credited with inventing the modern Paraguayan style of playing.
Sometimes, harpists sing along in the indigenous language of Guarani, with most lyrics recounting the country's war history or celebrating its natural beauty. Many songs mimic the sounds of waterfalls, twittering birds and other bucolic sounds.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20080508/wl_mcclatchy/2933630;_ylt=AutjFuHKnovwZpojqbRpsf6s0NUE
By Jack Chang
McClatchy Newspapers
ASUNCION, Paraguay — The sounds of heaven, plucked on 36 strings, fill the ramshackle houses and potholed streets of this sleepy capital.
Some of that music comes from the basement of harp master Adolfo Bernal , better known here as Papi Galan , who has spread the distinctive folksy strains of the Paraguayan harp all over the world.
The music also drifts from the living room of Cristian Ramon Portillo , a 14-year-old who says he's "enchanted" by the harp and aims to join his uncle, Martin Portillo , as one of the musical legends in this nation of 6.8 million people.
Paraguayans of all stripes have plucked the instrument since Jesuit missionaries first brought it to this impoverished, landlocked country nearly five centuries ago. Paraguayans have since made the harp their own, composing thousands of songs for it and even inventing their own smaller, more versatile version of the instrument.
Now, they want international recognition for their harp magic.
To be precise, Paraguayans want UNESCO , the United Nations' cultural wing, to designate their capital, Asuncion , "the world capital of the harp." They deserve no less, they say, for carrying the instrument's long legacy into the 21st century.
"The harps we have here are copies and maybe bad copies, but for us, they're perfect," said Bernal, who spent three decades playing in Europe and Brazil and builds his own pine-and-cedar harps in his basement. "You could be anywhere in the world, but as soon you hear one note, you know a Paraguayan's playing."
The local style is playful and quick and full of flourishes that Paraguayans call "fantasy," meaning echoing runs down the strings and improvisation. Musicians from around the world have copied the style. In Japan alone, as many as 3,000 people are studying the Paraguayan harp, musicians here said.
The music comes in two styles— a slower, more melancholy rhythm and the livelier polka, which, despite its name, doesn't features tubas or accordions. Harp legend Felix Perez Cardoso , who was born in 1908 and died in 1952, is credited with inventing the modern Paraguayan style of playing.
Sometimes, harpists sing along in the indigenous language of Guarani, with most lyrics recounting the country's war history or celebrating its natural beauty. Many songs mimic the sounds of waterfalls, twittering birds and other bucolic sounds.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20080508/wl_mcclatchy/2933630;_ylt=AutjFuHKnovwZpojqbRpsf6s0NUE
"Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything."
Plato (427-347 BC)
Plato (427-347 BC)
