CHILE: MUSIC AND DANCE

Music in Chile has influences from the native Mapuche, other Andean influences, as well as European influences.  The northern part of Chile was once the cultural capital of the ancient Incan civilization. 

Easter Island out in the Pacific is one of the most isolated islands in the world. Its nearest neighbors are hundreds of miles away, and it’s actually considered part of the Polynesian groups of islands. It’s most famous for its choral music, and they have competitions each year. Their music uses accordion music and guitars as well as other indigenous instruments that are closely related to Polynesian traditions.

Among common Chilean styles of traditional music, “the most popular airs” is called the cueca.  There are certain characterizations that define a cueca: always in a major key and is in 6/8 with the accompaniment in 3/4 which would give it a syncopated feel. The last note of the melody line will always end on the third or fifth of the chord, never the octave, which is somewhat different from Western music where the desire is to end on the tonic. But outside of those main things I just mentioned, the rules are pretty lax on the rest of it. A related form is called the tonada is differentiated by a having more of a fluid melodic section in general and is not intended to be danced to.

Although the cueca is found in neighboring countries as well, the corresponding dance is the considered the national dance of Chile. Its origins are linked to both Spanish and African influences. The dance is more or less a love dance – one intended on finding the right partner and is likened to mating “dances” between roosters and hens. While there are regional variations, the dancers wear traditional clothing and never touch, except for a handkerchief that is passed between the couple. I know I’ve written about other dances using handkerchiefs, but I can’t remember offhand which country it was from. I’m sure there are many variations around the world.

The 1960s brought about a sort of new era of Chilean music: popular music. In the beginning, musicians began to push traditional music (especially of the Andean regions) again, creating a new genre called Nueva Canción Chilena. However, the lyrics to many of the songs were pretty much a social statement of the time, criticizing how things were run – many popular poets doubled as lyricists. (Reminds me of the character Pedro Tercero Garcia in House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende that I mentioned in the last post.) In fact, many of these poets and musicians were under much scrutiny and targeted by the Pinochet administration in the 1970s.

Of the recent music, I found a couple albums that I really enjoyed. Since I’m such a huge fan of punk and ska, I found the album No Transar by the band Los Miserables. It was really hard to find them on iTunes, though. I kept coming up with the Spanish version of the movie Les Miserables. But alas, I did find it, and I might buy it. Another album I found is called Los Presidentes by the group La Ley. This album sounds a lot like reggaeton, which I’m also a huge fan of since we have a lowrider truck that we take to car shows (like, next weekend). I thought this might a good addition to my music collection. I also found the album Kaos by Anita Tijoux (or sometimes written as Ana Tijoux), which is a mix of pop, old school house, and old school hip-hop. Although, I think at times, she reminds me of MIA as far as her cadence goes. I also found the album 1977 on iTunes for $5.99 – I bought this album and absolutely love it. I think it’s won some awards and was featured on the show Breaking Bad. Both my husband and I are really into that jazz/hip-hop sound, and this is perfect for chilling out to. So glad that I bought this.

Up next: the food!

CHILE: ART AND LITERATURE

Chilean art has a long history, starting with pre-Columbian art (that is, art prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus). This type of art includes pottery, cave drawings, and body art. Most of the art was created for either for two reasons: religion or social. Many of the designs and figures used, including the body painting, was used for religious ceremonies.  

Of course Easter Island is most famous for its large stone-carved heads called mo'ai. Although we call them "Easter Island heads," they actually also contain a torso and upper part of the legs (as if they were kneeling). There are about 887 statues on the island that have been accounted for. Each of these statues were created in honor of deceased heads of families. Of course, my kids call it "Squidward's house." 

The arrivals of Europeans led to a new era in art. Different styles that were used in Europe were introduced in colonial Chile as well. Soon, there were many different schools popping up around newly formed South American cities. Most of the early subjects of these paintings were either portraits, landscapes, or of some sort of religious background. The Spanish Jesuits were responsible for the teaching of much of the arts in Chile during these early years. (Every time I hear about the Jesuits, I think of the book Candide.)

 

by Jose Gil de Castro

Throughout the years, many foreign-born painters have made their home in Chile starting in the 1800s. Painters from Germany, France, and other South American countries soon made their name in Chile and influenced another generation of painters. Some of the more prolific names that made their mark were José Gil de Castro, Mauricio Rugendas, Raymond Monvoisin, and Ernesto Chartan de Treville. Two Chilean artists of this same time were Manuel Antonio Caro and Vicente Pérez Rosales. 

 

by Raymond Monvoisin

In the early part of the 20^th century, a group of artists came together to form The 13 Generation.  The group took many of the styles that were indicative of the pre-Columbian era and combined it with creating art for a social statement. Much of their art was aimed at the working class and farmers to portray their lives and struggles. While each artist has their own particular style, some general characteristics include the use of wider brush strokes and darker colors to signify the darker times. And since they were also influenced by the art schools of Europe, many of the European artistic movements were also happening in Chile as well. There are several artists who were identified as members, but some of them were Arturo Gordon, Ricardo Gilbert, Otto Georgi, Judith Alpi, Agustín Abarco, among others. Other artist groups popped up throughout the decades, and new artistic styles and movements passed through Chile as well, including realism, surrealism, cubism, etc.

Chilean literature has certainly made its mark across the world. Two of the most famous Chilean writers are poets Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral. I first came across Pablo Neruda several years ago. I was grading the essay portion of standardized tests, and one question was regarding a poem by Pablo Neruda. I think it was called “We Smelled the Cordwood.” I wrote a parody of the poem that included the random things kids wrote in their essays and the jokes my grading team had. Pablo Neruda would be proud. I’m sure of it. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. Interestingly, he almost always tried to write in green ink, the color he associated with hope and desire. He was also a prominent member of the Communist Party, which didn’t win him many friends in high places. When Augusto Pinochet took over in a coup (whose extreme censorship and curfew was responsible for the deaths of nearly 3200 people and another 29,000 who were tortured under his regime, not to mention the roughly 1500 people who just wound up missing), Pablo Neruda was hospitalized with cancer. There’s a bit of controversy over whether Neruda did in fact die of heart failure related to cancer, or if he was helped along by members of the Pinochet administration. I even read about new findings as recent as last year. The Italian film Il Postino is about Pablo Neruda’s time in exile while on an island near Sicily; he befriends the postman and introduces him to love poetry. I’ve not seen the film yet, but I have heard of it. (And I promptly added it to my Netflix queue.)

Gabriela Mistral was not only a poet, but also an educator and a feminist. She won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1945, and so far is the only Latin American woman to do so. In fact she was only the fifth woman of all the winners to covet the esteemed prize. She had left and lived in France and Italy as well as worked in other countries, almost exiled from her own country.  She’s most known for her Poemas de Chile (Poems of Chile) and for Su Nombre es Hoy (His Name is Today). Her face is printed on the 5000 Chilean peso bill.

A couple of months ago, I had just finished reading House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. I didn’t know anything about this book or the author before I read it, and I absolutely fell in love with it. Later, I watched the movie made in 1993 that had an outstanding cast to it, but I thought it was a terrible rendition of the book. One, they left out characters, and experiences that happened to the granddaughter in the book happened to the daughter in the movie, and so on; Two, there were far too few scenes with Antonio Banderas in it. Although Allende was born and raised in Chile, she moved to the US after marrying and American, and she’s currently an American citizen. Throughout the years, she’s won numerous awards, prizes, and nominations, most notably the Chilean National Prize for Literature in 2010.

Up next: music and dance

CHILE: HOLIDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS

If you don’t like holidays, Chile may not be for you. There are around a million. (Ok, not really.) They also have partial holidays for elections. Employers are required to give employees at least two hours off of work to go vote. Good thing they don’t live in Florida or Ohio.

New Years Day (January 1). New Year’s is a big deal in Chile. Many people will use this time to travel to the coastal cities. The city of Valparaíso is famous for its fireworks display at the stroke of midnight. People like to gather for New Year’s parties with lots of food and drinks to cheer in the new year. Chileans have several different traditions. Some people carry a suitcase at the stroke of midnight in hopes of travel opportunities for the coming year. Some people partake in the tradition of eating lentils and grapes.

Good Friday/Holy Saturday/Easter (varies). In Chile, people don’t eat meat except for fish for the entire weekend. There are church services held for Good Friday. Holy Saturday, like in the US, is more of a quiet day, when people are preparing for the Easter celebrations the next day. Easter Sunday, for most people, starts out with special services held at their church. The celebrations last all day with elaborate luncheons and dinner and family gatherings.

Labor Day (May 1). This day is a day off in honor of all of the workers of the world. In Chile, it’s a time to discuss job growth and labor issues. Most people enjoy the day resting or doing some kind of recreation.

Navy Day (May 21). This day commemorates the Battle of Iquique in 1879, which was part of the War of the Pacific. The day is also the day in which the president gives his State of the Nation address. Special programs are held in Santiago, Valparaíso, and Iquique. 

St. Peter and St. Paul (June 21). This day is in honor of Saints Peter and Paul, and the martyrdom that took place in Rome. In Chile, these are the patron saints of fisherman, and the larger celebrations take place in Valparaíso and other cities along the coast.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel (July 16). The title Our Lady of Mount Carmel refers to Mary, mother of Jesus. She is the patrol saint of Chile. This is a relatively new holiday, established in 2007 in order to replace Corpus Christi (not the one in Texas. As far as I know, it’s still there.)

Assumption of Mary (August 15). This is the feast day that is associated with the ascension of Mary into heaven after she died. 

National Holiday (September 18). This holiday commemorates the First Government Junta in 1810. It started just after Napoleon imprisoned King Ferdinand VII and was seen as the first move toward independence. In Chile, it’s called Fiestas Patrias, or sometimes called Dieciocho (“the 18^th”). Because Army Day is the next day, many businesses and schools close for the entire week.  It’s also a time for many cultural activities highlighting Chilean literature, arts, music, dance, theatre, cuisine, and traditional dress. Towns have festivals with parades and people gather for barbecues. Public buildings and towns decorate the streets with the national flag and colors.

Army Day (September 19). Treated like an Armed Forces Day, military parades are common throughout the country, the largest being in Santiago at the Parque O’Higgins, named after one of the founding fathers. The air force performs air shows as well.

Columbus Day (October 12).  For many, Columbus Day commemorates his landing in the “new world” and is often claimed as the first European, even though we know that’s not true by any means.  For the many natives in these areas that were wiped out from the Spanish conquistadors, it’s more of a day of mourning. That goes for the Mapuches as well – the largest indigenous peoples. In recent years, there have been protests toward more Mapuche rights and fairness. In many countries in Latin America, the holiday is refered to as Dia de la Raza (“day of the race” or “day of the [Hispanic] people”). 

Reformation Day (October 31).  It strikes me somewhat odd that Chile would celebrate Reformation Day when the vast majority of the country is Catholic.  But they chose to do this for the growing number of Protestants in Chile.  Growing up as a Lutheran, I’m quite familiar with what Reformation Day is.  This was the day that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the door of the church at Wittenburg, Germany.  It was basically a list of things he wanted the church to change.  He never intended to break away from the church; his intention was to root itself on what the Bible was teaching. 

All Saints Day (November 1).  This is a traditionally Catholic holiday in honor of all the saints, especially those who do not have their own feast days.

Immaculate Conception (November 8).  As a non-Catholic, this holiday is a little difficult to wrap my head around.  But apparently, it’s in celebration of the conception of Jesus in the Virgin Mary.  It takes place nine months before the Nativity of Mary, which is held on September 8. 

Christmas Day (December 25).  Like other countries, Chilean cities and towns become very busy as the shopping season commences.  People decorate their homes, and families spend time with each other sharing large meals, and of course presents. Many families open their presents at midnight, early Christmas morning.  A lot of the traditions we do in the US are also found in Chile: Santa in the reindeer-drawn sleigh coming down the chimney, Christmas cards, carols, Christmas movies and cartoons, etc.

Banking holiday (December 31).  Banks and other businesses in the financial industry are closed on this day. Other people still have to show up to work, but certain businesses may choose to have shortened work days.

Up next: art and literature 

CHILE: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

When I was in high school, a friend of mine did a homestay in Chile. She told me that she absolutely fell in love with the fruit. It was so much fresher than what we can get in the grocery stores, far more succulent. And there were all kinds of fruit that we don’t normally have access to either.  Her host mom knew that she liked a certain kind of fruit so much – which one, I don’t remember; we graduated a bajillion years ago – that she secretly packed some in my friend’s suitcase to take back to the States so she could enjoy it when she got home – a surprise, so to speak. So when customs officials riffled through her suitcase and found the forbidden fruits, they certainly gave her a rough time, thinking she was some kind of exotic fruit smuggler. Needless to say, she was certainly surprised. (My customs official was much nicer coming back from Brazil – he saw I was heading back to Indianapolis and caught me up on the last few Colts games, scores and all.)

Chile is a long, skinny country on the Pacific side of South America, bordering Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru. (And one of two countries in South America that DOESN’T border Brazil.)  It also includes a few islands, most notably Easter Island. Easter Island is known for the giant somewhat-square-looking stone-carved heads; or as my kids call it: Squidward’s house. It also contains Robinson Crusoe Island – Alexander Selkirk was stranded here as a castaway in 1704, where he lived in solitude for over four years. Inspired from this story, Daniel Defoe published Robinson Crusoe about 15 years later. The country is 2700 miles long and only 217 miles wide at its widest point. To travel from north to south is almost the same distance between Indianapolis, IN and Quito, Ecuador. And because it’s so long, the climate and landscape varies drastically.  The north contains the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth. The southern areas are covered in jagged islands and fjords and claims to lands in Antarctica, although these claims are not recognized by all countries. Because Chile lies in the Pacific Rim of Fire, it has several active volcanoes and is subject to earthquakes and tsunamis. Not to mention that the Andes Mountains wind its way down the west side of South America, dividing Chile and Argentina. (Ironically, Andes mints has nothing to do with the Andes. It was created by a Chicago candy company, and originally named Andy’s mints after the owner. But people thought it was creepy to give candy with a man’s name on it, so he changed it to Andes mints. The End.)

This area has been inhabited for about 10,000 years. The Mapuche are distinguished from others for resisting assimilation into the Incan Empire. The first European to set foot on what is now Chile was none other than Ferdinand Magellan in 1520 (the namesake of the Strait of Magellan), and of course others followed. Spanish explorers landed there in search of silver and gold, and although they didn’t find any, they just claimed the entire place for Spain. (Sounds like “gold and silver” was their version of “WMDs”, huh?) It would remain that way until – several wars and skirmishes later – they would declare their independence from Spain in 1818. 

The capital and largest city in Chile is Santiago. Although this is the official capital of the country, where the executive and judicial offices are held, their Congress actually convenes in nearby Valparaíso (pronounced vahl-pah-rah-EE-so, as opposed to the city in northern Indiana, val-puh-RAY-zo).

Because the country was controlled by the Spanish for a couple of centuries, the established language is obviously Spanish, and like most other Spanish-speaking countries, most Chileans (about 70%) identify themselves as Roman Catholic.

Chile is one of the more economically stable countries in South America. One of the things that Chile is famous for – besides fruit – is wine. And I’m really excited about this. They aren’t far from the Mendoza region of Argentina which produces from very good wines (I just had a malbec from Mendoza a few weeks ago, very good.). I’m excited for the food; I think it may stretch my family’s tastes though. I have a feeling that there is a lot more than meets the eye to this long, skinny country – unless you’re coming in from the Pacific, then it’s short and fat. I think it’s all in perspective.

Up next: holidays and celebrations

CHAD: THE FOOD

They say Candy Crush is the bane of every great chef. Well, ok, no one actually said that, and since I’m not a great chef, it’s doesn’t matter, because I finally passed level 29.  I’ve been on that level for over a week. It is also the day of the 97^th running of the Indianapolis 500 race. And since I live in Indianapolis, it’s a pretty big deal. The whole city has been decorated in black and white checks for weeks. When I was a kid, the entire month of May was one huge festival. In fact, I used to think that the three-day weekend was for Race Day instead of Memorial Day.

 

This will be my breakfast tomorrow morning. Well, not this bowl. I ate it after taking the picture.  

Today’s meal from Chad was one that I was looking forward to since I gathered my recipes together.  I started out making the Saffron Sweet Potato Pudding, or Pudding de Patates douces au Safran. I used two large sweet potatoes, peeled them, cut them into small pieces, and boiled them for 25 minutes.  I then drained the potatoes and put in some milk, heavy whipping cream, sugar, saffron and cardamom. After that, I put it back on the stove and let it simmer for a little over an hour until it got to a thick puree, like the consistency of baby food. Then I garnished it with a pinch of ground cardamom. I loved this dish. I think it would make a great filler in a tart.

 

Explaining the scientific concept of melting. 

Then I got started on our bread.  For this, I chose a Chadian version of beignets soufflés.  I had eaten beignets at the International Fest a few years ago at a New Orleans booth, but I’ve never made them before. I started out boiling some water and putting in the salt, sugar and butter. I had my daughter doing the stirring on this one. Then I dumped in all of the flour in the mix, and it almost immediately soaked up all of the liquid. At this point we had to let it cool – I just shoved it in the refrigerator for a while. When it was finally cool, it called to add two eggs. I think I may have been able to get away with just one, because it seemed really liquidy now. But I went ahead and fried them up and topped them with powdered sugar, and they were really good. They went over well with the family.  It also helps that I have tried to hone my frying skills. I have found that not burning everything that I fry has a direct impact on my family’s well-being.

 

The recipe didn't yield very much. In fact, they're gone. 

And finally, I made entrée. I chose tilapia au four (baked tilapia). We love tilapia and probably have it 1-2 times a month. I like it because it doesn’t have a strong fish smell or taste. For this recipe, I rubbed chopped onions, garlic, fresh chopped parsley and olive oil onto the tilapia filets that were placed in a baking dish. Then I poured a can of diced tomatoes on top and seasoned with a little salt and pepper. I baked it for a half hour in the oven. This is definitely a dish I will repeat because it was so easy and tasted wonderful. The fresh parsley made a HUGE difference in the flavors.

 

There's tilapia hiding under all of those tomatoes. 

And just because I love my kids, they requested asparagus to go with it. I think they were thinking of a similar dish I made for this blog – and I forget which country it was from.  I have no idea if asparagus grows in Chad or if they even eat it at all. But here was the conversation that ensued:

                  Marisa: “Can we have asparagus with cheese on it?”

                  Me: “Well, we’re making food from Chad. I’m not sure if they even eat asparagus in 

                       Chad.”

                  Marisa: “Of course they do. I read it on the Internet. And the Internet doesn’t lie.”

                  Me: “Umm… hmmm… ok. Asparagus it is. Wait. When were you reading about  

                       Chadian cuisine online?”

                  Marisa: “Don’t ask questions.”

But instead of using farmers cheese like I did last time, I used crumbled feta cheese.  At least they’re eating vegetables, so in a way, I won.

 

The final product, with non-Chadian asparagus. 

I loved this meal. Everything about it. And it went over well with the family, too.  I always appreciate meals that the whole family enjoys. And now it’s time to relax, maybe catch the recast of the race, even though I already know that Tony Kanaan won. I promise I’ll look surprised, though.

Up next: Chile

CHAD: MUSIC AND DANCE

Because Chad has a ton of ethnic groups spread across the region, you can imagine that their music is as diverse.  Different groups have their own variations in musical style, instrumentation.  It’s probably best to describe their music in reference to the various ethnic groups.

The Fulani people tend to use single-reed flutes, but they’ll also use a 5-string kinde (a type of arched harp).  You’ll also hear the use of various kinds of horns in their music as well. People in the Tibesti region tend to make use of lutes and fiddles as well. Although you will find a cappella vocal music, using claps as accompaniment. One common form you find throughout many areas of Africa is a call and response. 

The certain ceremonies, such as coronations, long ceremonial trumpets are used; these musical ensembles who use these kind of trumpets along with other brass instruments are called “waza” or “kakaki.”

The Teda people, who live near the Tibesti mountains on the Chad-Libya border, has a strong folk music tradition. The men play various string instruments as an accompaniment to women’s folk singing. The men use the string instruments as their “voice” since in their culture, it’s inappropriate for men to sing in front of adult women. Something tells me there won’t be any Frank Sinatra-esque crooning going on.

A lot of the other instruments used in Chadian traditional music is also found across the Sahel and northern Africa regions as well. Different kinds of percussion instruments, string instruments and horns are popular instruments and are used in their music, no matter which tribe you belong to and which region you live in.

As far as popular music goes, the major influences comes from styles generating our of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Styles like soukous and sai are found among many of the Chadian popular music styles today. I found a group called Tibesti (the album Tebeïn le Tëhl) on Spotify, and I liked the vast majority of their music. I wish I could actually find a CD of them, though. 

Like many other African countries in this region, traditional dance go hand in hand with traditional music. And many of the dances are named after the style of music it is associated with. Dance in these areas is usually either telling a story, performed as part of a ceremony, or merely for entertainment. In the city of N’Djamena, there are many dance clubs and bars with dance nights that are very popular as means of entertainment.

Up next: the food!

CHAD: ART AND LITERATURE

Chadian art tends to fall into two categories: functional art, and art that is made for tourists. Items that fall into the functional art category would be baskets, clay pots, woven fans, etc. The woven fans and baskets are dyed with pigments from plants, flowers, and other natural ingredients, with purple and green being the most widely used colors.

When I think about making clay pots, I think of slapping the clay on a potters wheel and forming the pottery on that.  But in Chad, many don’t have that luxury. They form it strictly with their hands. And whereas we use a kiln to fire the pieces (which are really expensive – I’ve looked into buying one), they start a fire with pieces of wood and straw and get it really hot. Then they put the piece in the fire. And after a while, they cover the piece and the fire in sand and leave it there overnight.

And of course, there is the other kind of art: that for the tourist. This includes greeting cards, post cards, paintings, various textile arts, jewelry, etc. Most of this art is created by women to supplement the family’s income while the men are out doing agricultural work or other manual labor work.

French is the major language of Chadian literature, although some writers do produce written works in Arabic as well. Chadian authors actually tend to sell more works in France because the instability of the government.  The repressive nature of anyone who dares to speak out against the conditions in the country makes it really hard for these writers to get published. There are many books written about the conditions of their country and criticisms of the government.  Of course, there are also many books written on folklore, legends, and other stories that have been passed down.

There aren’t too many Chadian authors that are well known, and especially outside of Chad and France. Ahmat Taboye is the country’s lone literary critic.  He published his Anthologie de la littérature tchadienne in 2003, noting forty years of Chadian literature. He currently works at the University of N’Djamena as the head of the Department of Letters.  Joseph Brahim Seïd was a writer and politician (serving as Minister of Justice during the late 1960s-early 1970s) who wrote a couple of books in the 1960s. Baba Moustapha was a playwright whose finest work was published a year after his death in 1983, a play called Commandant Chaka. Antoine Bangui was a politician and was imprisoned for three years in the 1970s because he disagreed with President Tombalbaye and got on his wrong side. When he was released he published a book on his time in prison followed by an autobiography. His life afterwards is a mix of various political activities and writing more books. Koulsy Lamko is a playwright and novelist among other things, who studied in Burkina Faso where he met Thomas Sankara. He later studied in Rwanda where he wrote his only novel – La phalène des collines, about the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Up next: music and dance