"NO TOCABA"
Sayas and the black gaita legacy
Jesus Maria Sayas was the oldest of the black gaiteros of Sucre. He lived most of his life in Pita e' Medio, a village near San Onofre, a town that represents the heart of la cultura Afrosabanera. Jesus Maria Sayas died on december 26, 2009 at the age of 90. El Maestro Sayas was not only a great musician, but a great human being who lived his life around his music and his land. Thanks to Sayas the names and the repertoire of the older Afrosabanero musicians will be carried on to the younger generations of musicians of the country
"NO TOCABA"
"NO TOCABA"
ABOUT ME
I am a music and LALS (Latin American Studies) student that lives in New York and ironically enough living here I became interested in Colombian music. In New York one is exposed to a huge variety of cultures each with its own sounds, colors and flavors. In this city I became interested in finding the sounds, the colors and flavors of Colombia. I grew up in Bogotá listening to salsa, merengue, rock and hip hop ignoring traditional music. My quest to find the Colombian sounds took me to discovering a strong indigenous tradition, the legacy of the biggest Black Spanish-speaker population in the world, and the poetic structures of the Spanish language, all fused in the rhythm of Cumbia.
Cumbia is a Colombian rhythm that has been expanded all over the American continent, from southern Argentina to the United States. Cumbia was born in north Colombia, the caribbean coast of the country, with the arrival of the Spanish colonizers and African slaves. Cumbia is the fusion between European and African traditions with the indigenous people that already inhabited the northern coast of the country.
ABOUT CUMBIA
The Cumbia rhythm has been greatly accepted in Latin America and the United States, but even so its history and essence is little known outside of Colombia. With the development of the music industry in Latin America, Cumbia was simplified and orchestrated according to the commercial needs of the time, and then it was exported. Today, Cumbia is found in all types of contexts such as electronic music, jazz, hip-hop, etc. Regardless of all the transformations that Cumbia suffered through commercialization; the traditional ensembles have managed to survive in the rural areas of Colombia, as well as a few cites thanks to the oral traditions, and the cultural value that this music has for the people who live in these areas.
A great repertoire nourishes the groups that not only play Cumbia, but they also perform other traditional rhythms, that are as important as Cumbia itself; rhythms such as: porro, Bullerengue, Puya, Gaita, Merengue,Fandango,Tambora etc. Cumbia is traditionally played in different formats such as: the gaitas format (this format includes gaita hembra, gaita macho, llamador,alegre and tambora), gaita corta,flauta de millo, and accordion.
By listening to these musicians play their music, one can visualize the essence of Colombian and Latin American ethnicity,the indigenous melodies dancing on top of thundering African drums, while a Spanish voice narrates a beautiful love-story. We are now living in a time in which we are still able to ask questions and get answers directly from the elder Colombian musicians, and because there is little material available in Colombia and there is even less here in the United States, it is of the utmost importance to film, record, and document the music and the musicians who created and shaped the history of Colombian Folklore.
Grupo de Gaitas:
Young Gaita group playing in the streets of San Jacinto
Grupo de Millo:
recorded from the stage of the San Jacinto's gaita festival 2008
Maestro Pello Yepez (San Jacinto,august 2007)
It is a humid afternoon in San Jacinto, a small Colombian town located in the northern coast of the country. My friend Giuliano and I are crossing an unpaved road in order to visit Maestro Pello Yepez, a well known local musician. His face is all over San Jacinto; his picture is printed in the fliers that promote the Gaita Festival which is now taking place. Our main objective is to take the Gaita to Mr. Pello so we can hear him play. We are now on the borderline in which we are still able to ask questions and get answers directly from the elder Colombian musicians. Pello’s music has never been recorded that’s why it is of great importance to register what he has to say about the music and its history. As we get closer to his house we see his figure slowly walking out; His eyes are wide open, he says hi and immediately invites us to come in. We go through a small living room and then to the backyard.While we drink some beers there, Pello starts telling us his story and playing the gaita.He doesn’t have the same air he used to, and he doesn’t play the gaita as often. Pello never recorded his music and the air that seems to be leaving his body, also leave those melodies that made him a Legend in San Jacinto.
Pello yepez playing by himself in his backyard
"MIS AMIGOS"
Pello talking about
"LA RUEDA DE GAITA"
Maestro Jesús Maria Sayas y Mariano Gomez(San Onofre y Pita e' Medio august 2008)
Jesús Maria Sayas is an 88 years old gaitero,one of the last gaiteros of this region,in his memories he carries the names of those great musicians that taught him their melodies;Most of these names seem to be lost in the pages of older times, but maestro Sayas remembers them very clearly. Names such as Marcial Barón,Medardo Padilla,the marimón brothers, Cristian Julio, and others, emerge again and again at the end of each melody he plays; As well as the the specific rhythms that belong to each melody (porro,gaita,merengue etc).Maestro Sayas repertoire belongs to the sabanas of Sucre,a region of Colombia that is inhabited mostly by an African descendant population;The songs that maestro Sayas plays are unknown for most of the gaiteros from the Sabanas of Bolivar;It is important to say that most of the recordings that were made of this kind of music,were made by gaiteros from the Bolivar region.There is not a discography available from the black gaiteros from Sucre, just recently Maestro Sayas was recorded by the independent effort of a young Colombian musician.
Maestro Jesús Maria Sayas Playing in his backyard
(gaita macho and gaita hembra only, with no drums)
"LA GUACAMAYA"
"MORENITA COMPADRE JUAN"
Sayas talking
"NO TOCABA"
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