Introduction
The motivation for this project began last year when I was exposed to different African rhythms, both through listening and playing. This experience highlighted potential connections with the traditional rhythms from my musical background in Costa Rica. Growing up surrounded by Costa Rican folk music is one of the primary reasons I developed a love for music. Instruments of African origin, such as the marimba tradicional costarricense, el quijongo, and la quijada de burro, as well as cimarronas (small street bands), formed the soundtrack of my childhood. At that time, I did not question the origins or evolution of this musical tradition—I was simply immersed in it.
Henry Cole, a renowned drummer from Puerto Rico, once mentioned something about folklore that deeply resonates with me: “…folklore is what it is. Folklore has history, it has essence and it has life. Even though we learn more analytical things with the academy, we have to unite it with folklore. Without folklore, there is nothing; folklore is what moves, it is what indicates when a patient is alive and when he dies. If you take the folklore out of things, you are left with a line.”1
Throughout my musical journey, I have had the privilege of learning and playing various musical traditions, including marching band/drum corps, classical and contemporary percussion, and music from the Americas. I have always pondered how to blend these forms with folk music and vice versa. I believe that an artist who knows different musical art forms has a much broader perspective and therefore more tools to be creative, whether in composition or performance.
As I grew and studied music, I became aware of a clear connection between many rhythms across Latin America, including countries like Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Peru. Due to the limited and ambiguous documentation on this topic, I realized the need to research more about the rhythmic patterns found in Costa Rican folk music and trace them back to their African roots. This understanding could broaden other musical possibilities and contribute to a more comprehensive appreciation of these intertwined traditions.
It is important to mention that, in 2021 I wrote my thesis for my Licentiate’s Degree, revising the history of the modern drumset and how it was brought to Costa Rica. Also, I studied the evolution of how Costa Rican folk rhythms were introduced, adapted, and played on the drumset, in which I did interviews and transcribed 15 different drummers to document and analyze their approach to playing folk rhythms.
However, I did not study the history of the rhythms themselves, therefore, I consider this work as a continuation of my initial investigation, carried out through artistic research.
Research objectives
In this work, I aim to explore the influence of African rhythms on Costa Rican folk music, examining how these rhythms have impacted Costa Rican traditions both directly and indirectly. This includes identifying specific elements that have been integrated into Costa Rican musical traditions.
One objective is to enrich performance by blending African and Costa Rican musical elements, exploring how this fusion can enhance the performing experience across various musical contexts and contribute to a richer and more versatile performance style.
Another key objective is to integrate folk rhythms into jazz performance. By applying my previous training in folk rhythms to jazz consciously and cohesively, I aim to demonstrate how these rhythms can be effectively incorporated into contemporary jazz settings while exploring the boundaries between both genres.
With the recordings attached to this work, I would like to demonstrate the result after months of research, experimenting alone in the drum room, composing, rehearsing, and receiving feedback from teachers and members of the band.
Finally, I plan to develop new composition techniques while leaving room for improvisation. Using the insights gained from my research, I will experiment with different composition methods to create new music that allows for spontaneous improvisation while blending African and Costa Rican rhythms.
How I carried out my research
Many different procedures have been carried out to complete this work. First of all, to compile information I looked for sources, both written and sonorous. Among the written sources I looked into books, articles, stories, sheet music, and old music manuscripts. Regarding sonorous, I found recordings, and documentaries and also did interviews.
Using artistic research as my method, I intend to research not only on music, meaning from a musicological aspect, but also and predominantly through music. This means I will research drumming techniques and musical practices mainly from West, Central, and North Africa and find possible connections with traditional rhythms from Costa Rica. Through the awareness of this information, I will compose, rehearse, and record new music while reflecting and documenting the process. In this work, I intend to:
- analyze in detail the rhythmic patterns of Costa Rican parrandera and trace their origins back to African musical traditions.
- select recordings, transcribe, and analyze the use of syncopation and other rhythmic ideas.
- engage in discussions with teachers, fellow musicians, and researchers to gain diverse perspectives and deepen my understanding of the subject.
- read articles, books, and explore other digital sources like newspapers and music websites, to gather comprehensive information on the topic.
- experiment with rhythms in the practice room, record, and use loops to compose bass lines and melodies, thereby integrating theoretical knowledge with practical application.