Traditional music and dance
A fusion of Mayan, Spanish and Afro-Caribbean cultures, traditional Guatemalan music is deeply rooted in the country's history. Indeed, it was during the slave trade, in connection with the history of the Garifuna people, that the instrument that was to become Guatemala's emblematic instrument was introduced: the marimba. Originally from Africa, this cousin of the high xylophone is made of wood or rosewood, and can be played alone or in an orchestra. Depending on size and shape, a marimba requires one or more musicians. Another exotic feature of some marimbas is the use of tecomats, hanging fruit, as a sounding board.
Among the great national names of the marimba, we must mention Domingo Bethancourt (1906-82), whose work was highly influential, the famous Mariano Valverde (1884-1956), with a very wide repertoire, and Wotzbelí Aguilar (1897-1940), who adapted many piano pieces to the marimba. The singer Paco Pérez (1917-1951) remains famous for his waltz Luna de Xelajú, one of the best-known and most-played marimba pieces, sometimes considered a kind of unofficial national anthem. It's also worth noting that two of the greatest marimbists in history are French (cocorico!): Emmanuel Sejourné, whose marimba creations have been played by many of the world's great ensembles, and, more recently, Adélaïde Ferrière, a gifted young player who won a Victoire de la musique classique award in 2017 in the "Instrumental Soloist of the Year" category.
As you may have guessed, there's no escaping the marimba in Guatemala. In bars, restaurants and on the street, it's played absolutely everywhere. A few good opportunities to get a first-hand taste are the Fiesta de Todos Santos and the Fiesta de Santo Tomás in Chichicastenango, a major event rich in folk dances and marimbas. Otherwise, in Guatemala City, the Arrin Cuan restaurant offers marimbas at weekends and the El Portal bar, almost every lunchtime. In Antigua, Marimba en vivo, every Saturday at La Fonda de la Calle Real.
As a reminder, the Garifuna community was formed in Guatemala at the time of slavery. At the time, a European ship carrying several hundred slaves ran aground on the Caribbean island of Saint-Vincent. The survivors joined forces with the Arawaks, native Indians - now decimated. Their descendants moved to the shores of the Caribbean Sea, where they settled and fought for their freedom. This is how the Garinagu (plural of garifuna) were able to shape a singular and distinct culture that includes many traditional practices such as chumba and hunguhungu, polyrhythmic circular female dances. These are often combined with punta, their emblematic Garifuna genre. Blending African and Arawak elements, punta is a furiously rhythmic music and dance performed with traditional instruments such as garaon drums, other percussion instruments and vocals. The dance that accompanies this style focuses on the pelvis and fast swaying. While most traditional Garifuna aesthetics have remained close to their roots, punta evolved into a more contemporary form in the 1970s with punta rock. It's anything but rare to see or hear punta. In Livingston, for example, it is played and danced on May1st for the Palo Mayo, a traditional festival celebrating the start of the winter sowing season, or on the Feast of the Virgen De Guadalupe, a patron saint's day held every year on December 12th.
Dances are one of the pillars of Guatemala's cultural heritage and still play an important social role. They are not always intended for entertainment, and sometimes take on a ritual character. These dances may be of Mayan tradition, such as the Rabinal Achi (in the Quiché language), which is tending to disappear, the sumptuous clothes and masks representing a high cost for the communities; the Palo Volador, on the other hand, is probably of Aztec origin, each episode in its preparation corresponding to the sacred book. The Palo Volador can be seen in summer during the Fiestas de Santa Elena in Santa Cruz La Laguna. During these festivities, you can also witness the Dance of the Deer (or El Venado), of pre-Hispanic origin, symbolizing the struggle between man and beast; the Dance of the Snake features twelve protagonists dressed in black and masked in white, dancing in turn with a woman and reptiles symbolizing evil; the Dance of the Giants recounts a famous episode from the Popol Vuh, and is a lively and cheerful ballet. All these dances are accompanied by a wide variety of instruments: trumpets, chirimia (a flute of pre-Columbian origin), drums, marimba, plus the Hispanic guitar, harp and violin.
Classical music
It's hardly surprising that non-Guatemalans know little or nothing about the country's classical music, since its history has little or nothing to do with crossing borders. Yet, interestingly, Guatemala has a tradition of art music stretching back nearly five centuries, the country having been one of the first in the New World to adopt European music as early as the early 16th century. The missionaries brought with them a wide repertoire of liturgical and polyphonic songs, and a number of composers who had settled here for a time began to make their mark: Hernando Franco (1532-1585), Pedro Bermúdez (1558-1605) and Gaspar Fernández (1566-1629). All left behind compositions of the highest quality, recorded in various ecclesiastical manuscripts.
In the 17th century, at the height of the Baroque period, the first Guatemalan compositions began to incorporate elements of folk music, notably in the hands of Rafael Antonio Castellanos (1725-1791). The Classical period saw the emergence of José Eulalio Samayoa (1781-1866), arguably the country's first great composer, who was the first to tackle the symphony. The following generation was marked by a number of nationally renowned pianists trained in Europe, such as Luis Felipe Arias (1876-1908) - renowned for his interpretations of Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt - and the introduction of opera by the brothers Anselmo and Benedicto Sáenz (1815-1857). This enormous success opened the doors to many Italian opera companies, and led to the construction of stages such as the famous Théâtre Municipal de Quetzaltenango.
Rafael Álvarez Ovalle (1858-1946), one of the leading figures in Guatemalan classical music, soon followed. Immersed in music from an early age thanks to his father, he was propelled, at the age of 15, to the head of the Santa Lucía music school on the latter's death. At the age of 21, he moved to Guatemala City to further his musical training and confirmed his remarkable gifts with Pedro Visoni - an Italian master who had come to teach music in Guatemala: in less than three months, he mastered the flute and won his first musical competition less than a year later. He went on to learn the guitar, piano and violin with equal talent. His crowning achievement came in 1897, when he was chosen by the Guatemalan government to compose the national anthem. The day of his death was declared a national day of mourning, as a final tribute to this key figure in Guatemalan music.
At the end of the 19th century and in the first part of the 20th, several composers showed a keen interest in Mayan folk music, notably Jesús Castillo (1877-1946), the first musician to collect a significant amount of folk material. The results of his research can be found in works such as his opera Quiché Vinak (1924). Joaquín Orellana is a more contemporary and avant-garde musician, with a particular interest in electroacoustics, and has also worked with Guatemalan folklore. German-Guatemalan conductor, composer and musicologist Dieter Lehnhoff, one of the most important figures in twentieth-century Guatemalan national music, has also devoted much of his work to the folk heritage of various local ethnic groups, such as the Garinagu, as expressed in his operas Caribe and Satuyé. A leading player, his concertos, symphonies and chamber music are often performed in Europe, America and Asia. What's more, in 1993 he founded the Orquesta Millennium, an ensemble that has grown in prestige over the years, dedicated to promoting Guatemalan classical music, whether Renaissance, Baroque or contemporary. The country also boasts the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Guatemala, which contributes to the development of art music in the country. Between 1972 and 1991, the ensemble was directed by Jorge Sarmiento, widely regarded as the most important Guatemalan conductor in history. The Centro Cultural Miguel Angel Asturias de Guatemala Ciudad is one of the country's leading venues for theater, opera and classical music concerts.
Contemporary music
In addition to the widely adored pop stars Ricardo Arjona and Shery, Guatemala also boasts an interesting contemporary music scene, much inspired by its giant northern neighbor. Notable acts include indie pop band Easy Easy, indie rock band Yecto and synth pop duo Dinosaur 88, avant-garde cellist Mabe Fratti, pop singer Gaby Moreno, who performs all over the world, and local rap star Rebeca Lane. There's also The Garifuna Collective, which celebrates Garifuna musical traditions and blends them with those of other African diasporas.
Otherwise, generally speaking, you hear the same music here as anywhere else in Central America. So it's often the rhythms of salsa, merengue and reggaetón that accompany your trip.
The Cosmic Convergence festival, held every year on the shores of Lake Atitlán, generally boasts a fine line-up, and TrovaJazz, a polymorphous space set up in the heart of the recently opened 4° Norte district and entirely dedicated to promoting and developing Guatemala's contemporary cultural scene, are both worth a visit.
