Palo music
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Palo | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Afro-Dominican rhythms |
| Cultural origins | Dominican Republic |
| Typical instruments | alcahuete, auxiliar, mayor, and minor palo drums, güira, maracas, vocals |
| Other topics | |
| Music of the Dominican Republic | |
Palo, also known as atabales is a Dominican (Dominican Republic) sacred music that can be found through the island. The drum and human voice are the principal instruments. Palo is played at religious ceremonies - usually coinciding with saint's days - as well as for secular parties and special occasions. Its roots are in the Congo region of central-west Africa, but it is mixed with European influences in the melodies. Palos are related to Dominican folk Catholicism, which includes a pantheon of deities/saints (here termed misterios) much like those found in the Afro-American syncretic religious traditions of Cuba, Brazil, Haiti, and elsewhere. Palos are usually associated with the black and mixed populations. They can be seen in different regions of Dominican Republic, but with variations.[1][2]
Palo music is played on long drums termed palos. The word palos means sticks, and therefore all Dominican palos drums are instruments made from hollowed out logs. The head of the drum is made of cowhide and it is attached to the log portion with hoops and pegs in the Eastern region, or with nails in the Southwest. There is a master drum (palo mayor) which is the large, wide drum played with slimmer drums (alcahuetes) alongside: two in the East or three elsewhere. Palos are usually played with guiras, which are metal scrapers. They may also be played with maracas, or a little stick used to hit the master drum, called the catá. The Dominican region in which the palos are played determines the form, the number of the instruments, and how they are played.