My gardener Francisco Silveira teaches me the Chamarrita de Sao Jorge. A chamarrita is a fast local Azorean dance in 6/8 beat. This Chamarrita is typical for Sao Jorge. It is danced by four couples but I do not know of any images of it. It probably originated from the polkas and folk dances of Flemish immigrants but the fast polyrhythm also hints at African roots. Every village used to have its own chamarritas and older musicians still remember them. Francisco, who is a keen mandolin player, thinks the melody came originally from the island of Pico. It is a so-called chamarrita de baixo, because it is played high (in Portuguese terms low) on the neck of the Viola da Terra, a local guitar-like instrument. According to some musicologists (Renato Almeida) the chamarrita was transported to Argentine by Azorean immigrants, where it was one of the defining influences in the development of the Milonga and later the Tango.
14 сен 2012
