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Jumping Joropo!
Colombia’s Cimarrón were the talking point of last
year’s Womex showcases and are about to make their
Womad debut. Jan Fairley hears their history.
N
ow how many groups start a Onofre on maracas and singing, there’s
show with a solo on the mara- Hugo Molina on bandola, José Oviedo on
cas and have a whole theatre cajón also offering zipping zapateo dance;
mesmerised? I kid you not – singer and dancer Ana Veydó, Carlos Lápez
here I am in a packed Theatre on bass and Libarda Rey on cuatro. It’s a I
have to keep remembering that
Cimarrón are from Colombia because
I always associate harp-driven joropo
music with Venezuela. “Yes joropo
music comes from the llanos orien-
Mwldan in the old market town of Cardi- thrilling night of catchy melodies, swinging tales region around the Río Meta, the
gan in west Wales. I reckon if I’d not cross-rhythms with Finch joining Cimarrón’s Meta river, which is one of the tributaries
been jammed in the middle of the back Colombian joropo music and Cimarrón of the Orinoco river that flows through
row of this pitched seated theatre, I’d joining Finch for traditional and contempo- both countries. The llanos are linked, as
have fallen off my seat with excitement rary Welsh pieces. It all fits so well the audi- the border is artificial in geographic terms
when Jhon Onofre opened the night ence is, well, let’s say ecstatic! Colombian and tradition.”
with a maraca solo, that shifted from joropo integrates well with Welsh harp tra-
I wonder why they have taken the
hissing streams of sound to spitting ditions, with some beautiful songs, notably
name Cimarrón, associated in some parts
cobra to sensual seeds: the like of which I Ana Veydó singing María Laya.
of the Americas with slaves who ran away
have never heard before.
As Rojas told me earlier, “I founded to freedom, usually living hidden from the
Colombian group Cimarrón are on the group about 20 years ago. There are slave owners and authorities in remote
stage with local girl made famous Catrin various groups in Colombia who play forest regions. “I chose the name Cimarrón
Finch, Welsh harpist extraordinaire (with a joropo music but we hope only one like because it’s the name given to the toro sal-
year as harpist to The Prince Of Wales no Cimarrón. My idea was to present the vaje, the wild bull of the llanos which is
less) in a collaborative project that began joropo recio to a national and internation- also called the rez salvaje. The Indians and
and toured in 2007 and again in 2009. al public. I wanted to introduce that rustic colonisers went there to hunt but they did
Finch is up for anything to do with harps country campesino sound of the country- not stay to live there. We try to maintain
and knowledgable, having presented an side: it’s rawer, almost cruder, less ‘sweet- that spirit of freedom of
intrepid 2007 BBC4 programme, The Harp, ened’ than popular commercial versions those still untouched
which took her to Ethiopia and Venezuela. which have various stylistic currents, regions where few men
She has two harps with her, both fitted including ballads. The joropo recio we do have ever lived. It’s a
with electronic devices that allow her to is rooted in deep peasant tradition, raison d’être for us as
achieve a lot of beautiful effects, defined by the different indigenous we try to make music
playing alongside Carlos Rojas, traditions. We come from small vil- that has that wild
Cimarrón’s harpist and director lages in the same region: from San untamed feeling, music
(who for certain pieces plays Martín, Villa Vicencio, Granada, that is not domesticat-
one of Finch’s harps). Boyaca.” ed, that is bold and
Meanwhile, as well as
Cimarrón with dancer Ana Veydó
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