Music in the Dutch Speaking Caribbean Featuring Juan Chabaya Lampe (Padu del Caribe)
Description
If you love spirited piano music, then you will love the music by this post's featured musician, Juan Chabaya Lampe. You will hear similarities between the pieces listed here, but you will also hear distinctions that distinguish the personality of each piece from the other. However, overall you will hear Lampe's talent and also that of Rufo Wever who makes a guest appearance on this blog. May this playlist inspire you to lounge on the beach and sip some coconut water as it did for me.
Featured Artist: Juan Chabaya Lampe
This featured artist of this playlist is Juan Chabaya Lampe. Lampe is certainly a man of many talents since he has earned himself the title of composer, poet and singer. He has also mastered a variety of instruments, including the cautro, mandolin and the violin, which makes him a versatile instrumentalist. Lampe also earned himself the title, Padu del Caribe, which means Father of the Caribbean through his commitment to Caribbean musical styles. Needless to say, his compositions exude the fragrance of the Caribbean. This playlist will showcase some of the Caribbean folk music infused compositions by Lampe and also some of the works of Rufo Wever, a skilled composer, musician, and Lampe’s contemporary.
Performance at FortChurch (start 0, end 3:55)
Juan Lampe’s performance at FortChurch at Willemstad (0 - 3:55
minutes) is light and cheerful. The
piano carries the melody while string and percussion instruments offers support.
It is a pleasant surprise to see that the cuatro is among the selection of
stringed instruments, and a metal scraper as well as a skinned drum is among
the selection of percussive instruments, all of which are instruments typically
found in the Dutch Caribbean. Needless to say, with all the Caribbean instruments
this piece has no choice but to showcase a Caribbean flavor. Perhaps this
selection, in particular is capturing the bubbly and light-hearted feel the Caribbean
exudes.
Dalia
I would like to think "Dalia" is the name of a feisty and
confident woman because this is what I envision when hearing this piece by Lampe. The piece is up-beat like the pieces before it in this
playlist. It showcases high pitches and syncopated melodies and harmonies. That
is, it seems like the drums perform an ostinato of a synchopated rhythm
throughout the entire piece. Moreover, the sound of the drums are more
prominent in this piece than in the previous piece. Call and response appears
early in this piece in the piano which is typical of Caribbean music on the whole.
Finally, the inclusion of the stringed instruments and the metal scraper along
with the drums tops off this piece making it a piece with Caribbean soul.
Overall, this piece is fun, cheerful and spirited.
This piece is a little bit slower than "Dalia" however it has some interesting musical decorations. At 20 seconds in you hear Lampe playing the piano in a way that sounds like the steel pans. There are also a few accents dispersed throughout the piece. For example, the piano melody is accented at 53 seconds in the piece. There also seem to be a little canon happening throughout the song between the upper and lower piano registers. For example, one happens between 1:01 to 1:07 in the music. In short, "Daisy" is a decorated piece distinguishing itself from "Dalia" and showcasing Lampe’s musical prowess and skill. Overall, this piece is colorful and every bit as entertaining and spirited as all the other previous pieces in this playlist that hosts all of the stringed and percussive instruments that gives the piece that signature Caribbean sound.
Sobrasita
Rufo Wever makes his first appearance on this playlist with the piece,"Sobrasita." "Sobrasita" translated into English means “very delicious,”
and that’s just what this piece is. "Sobrasita" is very light and and cheerful
which creates a delightful atmosphere. I believe this piece is very similar to
Lampe’s performance at FortChurch (First video in the playlist). Actually, it
almost sounds like the same piece if you’re not listening carefully. In "Sobrasita", we can clearly see Lampe’s influence on Wever’s musicianship. In "Sobrasita," The piano carries the melody, and strings and other percussive
instruments provides the accompaniment. The melody is quick and synchopated. It
also appears that there was a back and
forth call and response between the higher pitched notes and the lower pitched
notes in the piano arrangement. The piece definitely modeled its Caribbean flare
through its stringed and percussion elements. The cuatro and the banjo, two
instruments characteristic of the Dutch Caribbean made up the string section of
the piece. There was also the skinned drum set and a metal scraper supplying
the authentic Caribbean sound to the piece.
Prince Tribute
“Prince Tribute” by the Scol di Musica Rufo Wever is
something almost unrecognizable from the early works of Rufo Wever who was the
founder of the School and contemporary of Lampe. “Prince Tribute”
made an appearance on this playlist because it illustrates just how far music
has come and how much it has changed over the years. This piece has a pop genre
and unsurprisingly so, because it is a tribute to an American pop artist. This
piece breaks the mold and deviates from the Caribbean sound that was consistent
throughout this playlist. However, in this video there are still instruments typical
to the Dutch Caribbean: The guitars, and skinned drums, even though the guitars
seem electric and not acoustic which creates a different sound quality.
Annette
This solo piano piece, “Annette,” is composed by Rufo Wever.
Here we get to hear the sound of the piano alone. There are no skinned drums, scrapers,
or sticks to infuse Caribbean sounds into the music, but the style and
arrangement of the piano differs from all the other piano arrangements in this
playlist. The melody in “Annette” sounds more classical than folk Caribbean.
There are not as much staccato notes or call and response. This video reminds
us of the musical depth and versatility of Rufo Wever who is capable of
composing music in more than one genre artfully and skillfully. Here’s an
activity for you, if you are up for the challenge: Try beating a drum or desk,
or scarping something to this melody. You will find that your efforts still did
not add any Caribbean sound to “Annette,” which again speaks to Rufo Wever’s skill in navigating each genre proficiently.
Aruba Dushi Tera (National Anthem of Aruba)
Finally, to end the playlist we have the National Anthem of
Aruba. What better way to conclude than to present the collaboration between
Lampe and Wever? “Aruba Dushi Tera” is a waltz that served as the National
Anthem of Aruba since 1976.
Gangelhoff, C., LeGrand, C. (2019) Tour de force: A musical journey of the Caribbean. Sound Caribbean. https://online.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9789769624900/epubcfi/6/2[%3Bvnd.vst.idref%3DTour_deForce_epub_8.16.19-1]!/4[Tour_deForce_epub_8.16.19-1]/2[_idContainer000]/2%4050:7
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