Fescennine Verses

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Originally sung at village harvest-home rejoicing, they made their way into the towns, and became the fashion at religious festivals and private gatherings, especially weddings, to which in later times they were practically restricted. They were usually in the Saturnine metre and took the form of a dialogue consisting of an interchange of extemporaneous raillery. Those who took part in them wore masks made of the bark of trees. At first harmless and good-humored, if somewhat coarse, these songs gradually outstripped the bounds of decency; malicious attacks were made upon both gods and men, and the matter became so serious that the law intervened and scurrilous personalities were forbidden by the Twelve Tables (Cicero, De re publica, 4.10; see also Horace epist. 2.1.139).

Festejo

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

There are theories that describe the Festejo as a dance that began in Lima in the mid-17th century, but they do not provide evidence to support these hypotheses. No musical example has yet been established to show that this musical form existed before 1800. However, some Festejos dating from the 19th century have been identified. Since the middle of the 20th century, old Festejos have been collected from the areas of Lima, Aucallama, Cañete and Chincha. The development of Afro-Peruvian musical traditions occurred during the period of slavery and colonial governance in Peru. Raúl R. Romero says that Peru was as a major center of Black slavery throughout the colonial era in Latin America because of the significant Black population in costal urban areas such as Lima. Omar H. Ali explains that Afro-Peruvian cultural practices kept surviving through community resistance and cultural resilience which allowed traditions of music and dance to stay. Afro-Peruvian communities kept their cultural traditions alive through dance and music which brought people together to celebrate, even though they were going through difficult times. These practices became powerful expressions of identity and historical memory for the Afro-Peruvian communities. According to musicologist William Tompkins, by the early 1900s the original choreography was almost completely lost. It is from 1949, that a standard choreography for the “Festejo” begins to be generated in the “Peruvian Folk Music and Dance School” (today the José María Arguedas National Higher School of Folklore).

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Fescennine Verses

History#

Festejo

History#