Music of Guatemala, Vol. 1 (1969) CD

"This item is part of the Folkways (Cook, or Paredon, or Monitor) archives.The original liner notes from the LP are included."

"The music presented in this album is typical of rural Guatemala. Most of the inhabitants of this area are Indians of Mayan descent, but almost everywhere in the Guatemalan countryside one can also find Ladinos: persons, of whatever descent, who speak Spanish in their homes and have adopted the Ladino way of life, which is mostly Spanish. It is not completely Spanish, however, because both the cultures of rural Guatemala are the result of the confrontation over several centuries of two very different civilizations, the indigenous Mayan, and the Western, introduced by the Spanish in the 16th century. Both cultures have borrowed traits from the other, and this is nowhere more evident than in their music, which is a mixture of European, Indian, and perhaps also African elements..."

"La música que se presenta en este álbum es típica de la Guatemala rural. Muchos de los habitantes de esta área son indios descendientes de los Mayas, pero también se pueden encontrar ‘ladinos’ casi en todo el país rural guatemalteco, es decir, personas de diversos orígenes étnicos que hablan castellano en sus casas y han adoptado las costumbres ladinas, principalmente españolas. No completamente, porque ambas culturas de la Guatemala rural son el resultado de una confrontación de varios siglos entre civilizaciones muy diferentes, la Maya y la occidental, introducida por los españoles en el siglo XVI. Ambas culturas han tomado algunos rasgos de la otra, y esto no puede ser más evidente en ningún otro sitio que es su música, que es una mezcla de elementos europeos, indígenas y quizá también africanos..."

Jacques Jangoux


     101      Chirimia and Drum      Two Quiché Indians      2:33     
     102     Chirimia and Drum     Two Quiché Indians     1:24    
     103     Chirimia and Drum     Two Quiché Indians     1:21    
     104     Marimba and Clarinet     Tzutuzil Indians     2:02    
     105     Marimba and Clarinet     Chorti Indians     2:31    
     106     Chirimia and Drum     Tzutuzil Indians     1:34    
     107     Chirimia and Drum     Tzutuzil Indians     1:40    
     108     Small Marimba     Tzutuzil Indians     3:33    
     109     Whistling     Ana Ramirez     2:02    
     110     Spanish Children's Song     Juan Ramirez     0:54    
     111     Spanish Children's Song     Juan Ramirez     0:59    
     112     Spanish Children's Song     Juan Ramirez     0:40    
     201     Humming     Ana Ramirez     5:03    
     202     Marimba     Family of Esteban Ramirez including Ana Ramirez and Juan Ramirez     1:06    
     203     Marimba     Family of Esteban Ramirez including Ana Ramirez and Juan Ramirez     2:22    
     204     Marimba     Family of Esteban Ramirez including Ana Ramirez and Juan Ramirez     2:03    
     205     Marimba     Family of Esteban Ramirez including Ana Ramirez and Juan Ramirez     5:10    
     206     Los Almendras (Ladino)     Family of Esteban Ramirez including Ana Ramirez and Juan Ramirez     1:25    
     207     Adios Juanita (Ladino)     Family of Esteban Ramirez including Ana Ramirez and Juan Ramirez     2:41    
     208     Indian Song     Family of Esteban Ramirez including Ana Ramirez and Juan Ramirez     1:49    
     209     Indian Song     Family of Esteban Ramirez including Ana Ramirez and Juan Ramirez     1:18