Dissertation Index



Author: Varney, John Charles

Title: Colombian Bambuco: The Evolution of a National Music Style

Institution: Griffith University

Begun: January 1995

Completed: June 1999

Abstract:

This thesis is a description and analysis of the Colombian bambuco as a tricultural musical form. Identifying the bambuco as a distinctive genre firstly within Colombian national music and the Andean region, a primary analysis studies its various ensemble contexts and identifies an archetypal rhythmic structure for the bambuco's melody and accompaniment. The analysis proceeds seeking to identify relationships which may exist between the bambuco and Amerindian, Spanish and Black African sources. The principal tools for the traditionally problematic identification of the bambuco's Black African roots are:

1.the original hypothesis that African rhythmic bell patterns in the form of 'clave patterns' can occur in the melodic rhythm of Afro-American genres when they do not necessarily occur in the rhythmic accompaniment, and

2.Afro-American clave patterns can all be traced to the same African principle of 'rhythmic oddity' as described by Arom (1991, 248).


The thesis opens with a general introduction and literature review. The introduction discusses the overall approach to the topic.. A background to Colombia's history and geography is developed in the second chapter. Chapter Three details the history of the bambuco. Its demise as an expression of the people is documented and the possible reasons for this are considered.

An analysis of a number of bambucos is carried out to identify it within Colombian Andean music. Through this analysis an archetypal rhythmic structure is identified within the melody and its accompaniment to rhythmically identify certain basic phrases.

The thesis then begins an investigation of the polycultural elements of the bambuco, examining. These examinations are carried out taking into consideration social, musical and technical aspects of the artistic tendencies of these cultures. Conclusions are drawn on the basis of the findings of this cultural comparison and this is applied to such considerations as the cultural classification of the bambuco and practical aspects such as its notation.

Keywords: bambuco, Varney, Colombian music, Andean, Afro-Hispanic, mestizo, música criolla, clave

TOC:

Chapter One: INTRODUCTION 1

Chapter Two: CONTEXTS AND BACKGROUND 27

Chapter Three: HISTORY OF THE BAMBUCO 52

Chapter Four: BAMBUCO - ENSEMBLE COMPOSITION AND MUSICAL ANALYSIS 97

Chapter Five: RELATIONSHIP WITH AMERINDIAN INFLUENCE 204

Chapter Six: RELATIONSHIP WITH SPANISH AND EUROPEAN INFLUENCES 227

Chapter Seven: RELATIONSHIP WITH AFRICAN INFLUENCE 264

Chapter Eight: CONCLUSION 322

Contact:

John Varney
105 Evenwood St
Coopers Plains QLD 4108
AUSTRALIA
61-7-33452176
J.Varney@mailbox.gu.edu.au


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