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.

Research

This section discusses and contextualizes the Costa Rican traditional music that I intend to analyze, tracing the African influence by consulting several resources respectively cited. This chapter delves into the historical background and development of traditional music in Costa Rica, highlighting the various cultural interactions that have shaped its evolution. It examines the role of African heritage in the formation of musical styles, rhythms, and instruments, providing a comprehensive overview of the socio-cultural dynamics at play. By exploring ethnographic studies, historical records, and musical analyses, the chapter paints a vivid picture of how African influences have been integrated into Costa Rican musical traditions over time.

To start my research, I consulted a variety of sources including digital newspapers, articles, music websites, and books by relevant researchers. I found several notes in a digital newspaper called “The Voice of Guanacaste” regarding African influence in Costa Rica, which provided a valuable starting point. Additionally, I consulted works by prominent researchers such as Luis Monge and Jorge Luis Acevedo, among others, which are properly cited later in this work. To gain deeper insights, I also interviewed Raziel Acevedo, who is an important researcher on this topic. This multifaceted approach allowed me to gather comprehensive information and perspectives for my study.

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