Short history of Ecuadorian Pasillo
(continued from Home)
...it was a matter of time for low classes to have their own vals-pasillo version. It is known that from 1877, pasillos were written; however, it is also known that its origins come from even earlier. Many historians have their own opinion on how the Pasillo was born; (from the Toro Rabón in the Colony, from Yaraví and the German lied romanza from a combination of Colombian Pasillo and PeruvianYaraví; etc, etc)
"It was a dance that appeared in the second third of the XIX century in the territories that were then part of the Nueva Granada (Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela).... its name can be translated as dance of little steps. From the dancing Pasillo appeared a sung version that gave birth to the song pasillo" (Guerrero P. , Enciclopedia de la Música Ecuatoriana, Tomo II, 2004, p. 76).
Pablo Guerrero (*) remarks that " it is hastened to affirm that the Pasillo comes from Colombia and Venezuela. If (the Pasillo) appears at the beginning of the XIX century, in the Nueva Granada territory, it [Pasillo] should not belong to a specific country, but to all the countries which are part of it [Nueva Granada]; including particular characteristics of each region." He concludes, "the Pasillo has the final mold of the dances that came from Europe from colony ages -but- in its content, it is a musical product developed in the American continent."
Wilma Granda (*) adds, "Personally, I think that the diverse perceptions that assume the Pasillo as their own, due to original festivities which happen inside similar communities located in the North of South America; define the Pasillo as different, diverse, ethnic, and even regional- the Pasillos from the coast are different from the ones in the highlands (in Ecuador)." Granda, W. (2014) The Pasillo: Sonorous Identity."
It took a long time to have the current Ecuadorian Pasillo as we know it now; but in the beginning, the Pasillo had different main topics: Love, betrayal, death, etc. Its main topic was the woman as an object of cult. The Pasillo always begins with low notes; making it sad in its composing.
In the XX century, the Pasillo had great growth and many composers and singers performed this musical style.
The Ecuadorian Pasillo now.
Nowadays, we can see that the Ecuadorian Pasillo has not had the growth it had in the XIX -XX centuries; however, it has been seen that many new young composers and enthusiasts have written new pasillos, especially to win a well-known contest that rewards the best Pasillos in the country.
The Ecuadorian Pasillo has been influenced by other musical styles, too. Young musicians and composers have mixed the Pasillo with Blues and Jazz, for example.
La Vanguardia, a group of young musicians graduated from the Escuela del Pasillo Nicasio Safadi, execute new pasillos from the winners in the contests organized by the Museo Municipal de la Música Popular Julio Jaramillo. The idea is to preserve this musical genre which was declared Patrimony, Cultural, National and Inmaterial of Ecuador on November 26th, 2018. La Vanguardia's Director, Jenny Estrada, explains that this pasillo "is more modern and updated, with new music, a different message because it is the young expression of pasillo".
"It is beautiful music. [We sing to] the love, the lack of love, the mother, the nature (...)" Estrada continues, it tries not to be only sad or mourning music, but it contains a fresher harmony and new musical structures without losing its origins. "This gives [the Pasillo] a more contemporary touch; without losing the essence of the traditional pasillo. The Pasillo is being adapted to new musical forms", says Estrada.
(*) Pablo Guerrero: (Quito 1962) Music Researcher and writer. Author of books including the "Ecuadorian Music Encyclopedia"
(*) Wilma Granda: (Quito, 1951) Ecuadorian Film and Music Researcher. Author of many books; including: "The Pasillo: Sonorous Identity" (2004)
*** The names of the books have been translated to English, but their original publications are in Spanish.
