Echoes - An exploration of the African rhythmic  influence in Costa Rican folk music

Nelson Briceño Peraza

This exposition presents my final project for the Master of Arts in Jazz Performance, Drumset, undertaken from autumn 2022 to spring 2024. The project was motivated by my exposure to diverse African rhythms, which revealed potential connections with the traditional music of my Costa Rican heritage. Growing up surrounded by Costa Rican folk music, including African-origin instruments such as the marimba, quijongo, as well as cimarronas (street bands), deeply influenced my musical identity. This project aims to explore and integrate these rhythms, tracing their African roots and merging them with contemporary musical forms. Inspired by Henry Cole's perspective on folklore as the essence and life of music, this research emphasizes the importance of connecting academic knowledge with folk traditions. Throughout my career, I have engaged with various musical traditions, always seeking to blend them with folk music. This project builds on my previous work, which examined the introduction and adaptation of Costa Rican folk rhythms on the modern drumset. In this continuation, I focus on the historical and rhythmic connections between Latin American and African traditions, using artistic research to deepen the understanding and appreciation of these intertwined musical heritages.

Rhythmic patterns of Costa Rican parrandera and son de toros

Before I start comparing rhythms from different cultures, I will show some examples of basic rhythmic patterns of parrandera, as played traditionally. I collected these rhythms by listening to studio recordings by a group called Marimba Diriá, as well as transcribing Alonso Ramos Arrieta (quijada) and Nelson Briceño Rosales (marimba) taken from my licentiate’s graduation concert.

Son de toros

Parrandera

Example 1