Plena

The plena is an important musical genre of the folk music of Puerto Rico and with Panama and typically associated with the coastal regions with the island. Like corrido in Mexico, the plena is a song which tells accounts detailed on the pains and of the irony of the life of the people.

An excellent modern example of this kind is the song El Bombón d' Elena recorded by Ismael Rivera and Rafael Cortijo.

There are several theories on the origins of the plena. Most popular is that the plena is originating in Pounce, on the coast of the south of Puerto Rico, about 1920, as it suggests the popular plena, San Anton. However, the historian of the music Francisco Lopez Cruz makes a distinction between the music and the dance: according to him, one can already find elements of music plena about 1875, dance appearing then with Ponce.

The plena appeared along the coast of the south of the island. It allowed population of slaves of peasants, to testify to their life through music. It has African roots and some influences of the Indians " jíbaro" or Taíno.

Rather similar kinds of music, are the " Corrido " from Mexico, " romance" from Spain, the Calypso of Trinidad, the " porro" Colombia and the Merengue of the Dominican Republic.

When the Paysan S migrated in San Juan and other urban areas, the plena belonged to the urban cultural life and was used as entertainment, as that occurs everywhere everywhere with a folk music. musicians made evolve/move the music while adding to it of coppers, of the rates/rhythms complicated, of the impromptu songs of call-and-answer which one finds in other kinds, as the Bent or the Salsa.

The words of the plena treat Actualités and is often called " el periodico cantado" , the Newspaper sung. The singers recite the event day, make the Satire life Politique; All the plenas do not treat topicality, but are more personal, often mischievous and full with Humor, without relationship with the topicality or the Political .

The singers of plena include a soloist and a chorus singing in one call and an answer, in antiphonal mode. The chorus is made of one or two singers, the second the harmony an octave can sing higher (what is called " requintar").

Choreography

The plena can be danced, but contrary to there bent is not dialog musician/dancers. She dances herself in couple, although it seems that with the origin the couples were not held.

Instruments

Plena is played into 2/4, with instruments which incluet typically several sizes and tonalities of Pandereta S, so called " Pandero s". The panderetas are the instruments most characteristic of the plena. A Pandero is a drum held with the hand, similar to a tambourine, but without the Cymbale S, with an animal skin tended on a framing. Three panderetas of different sizes are necessary for a whole of plena complete.

Two drum S of support are also typical instrumentation plena. One called will seguidora, provides the rhythmic base and the second is the drum principal, called a requinto which reinforces the accents of the rhythmic structure and is also used for solos of improvisation. Another important instrument used in a plena is the güiro, of which the role primary education is to play a fixed rate/rhythm, but which can also be used to play of the solos. Other instruments sometimes used are the Cuatro or a Guitare, Conga S or a maraca. A Accordion or a Harmonica can also be used, but it is not typical. Some plena units include a trumpet, a Clarinette, or another Instrument wind.

The plena and the Bomba are dependant so much so that in Puerto Rico one formed the word " bombayplena" : The plena and the Bomba divide roots African, use drum S of various sizes, the song is ensured by a solite in a chorus, the words speak about the daily life of people. But in spite of these common points, there are also differences: types of drums, importance of the dance for bent, structure of the worms.

The plena was exceeded by the Rock, the Salsa, the Merengue and of the musical genres more modern. In the years 1960 and years 1970, Puerto Rico artists and New York like César Concepción and My Will rivet, modernized the plena with an instrumentation of style Big band and the use of Trombone S.

The artist of salsa Willie Colón allowed to redécouvrir the plena by signing two albums with Yomo Toro, the Master of the Cuatro (album including several plenas and music Jivaro orchestrated in Salsa) and two albums with My Will rivet in 1975 and 1976.

Known interpreters

  • Manuel has Jiménez, `El Canario'
  • Ismael Rivera
  • Rafael Cortijo
  • Match & Daddy

External bonds

  • Site on the plena and the Bent

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