Extra Post- Chamorro Music

Chamorro Music

• Chamorro music has gone through different phases as the Chamorro people have been evolving. However, many unique features of ancient Chamorro music are currently seen in contemporary Chamorro music. The sounds of modern Chamorro music are very diverse, yet still contains the key elements of influential historical eras. Today the Chamorro music has become one of the driving force for saving the Chamorro language among the English-dominant culture of Guam.
• Although the Chamorro music has been influenced by many cultures that have been settled in Guam after World War II era, today many contemporary musicians proudly point out that the music they create today strongly connect with ancient Chamorro culture and practices.
• It is known that music has played an important cultural role in the lives of indigenous peoples of the Mariana Islands since the islands have been settled 4,500 years ago. When the first Europeans came to the islands during the 16th and 17th century, noticed how important music was in the different cultural practices and events.
• One of the most famous form of Chamorro music that has been established since the Chamorro people inhabited the islands, is the so called Chamorrita or Kantan Chamorrita. The chamorrita is a Chamorro folk song sung in four-line stanzas. It also has a specific tune for which many different songs are created. The words of the song are improvised on the spot based on the event for which the song is sang. 
• The structure of the song consists of two couplets in which the second and fourth lines rhyme. It is also allowed the fourth line to be unrelated to the first in meaning. 
• The chamorrita song was mostly used during singer competitions and other events. The competitions were very friendly and were very important part during ancient Chamorro festivities. During competition a singer sang four lines. Then the opponent had to make up four lines to answer. Back and forth they created verses until one singer could no longer think of an appropriate response. Full of laughter and mocking, these songs were part of their entertainment. Mainly this type of song was used as a means to honor their idols. 
• Although during the time after World War II the chamorro language began to be less and less used in public, many of the Chamorro musicians and song writers still continued to create the traditional Chamorro music. And in the 1960s the Chamorro music started once again to gain popularity as the the recording industry began to develop. One of the first albums released by Johnny Sablan contained songs that tried to preserve the culture as he added some of the songs created before the war. 
• During the 1980s, new type of Chamorro music began which accompanied the development of traditional Chamorro dancing. 
• Today the Chamorro music is still developing, producing new albums and songs that are particularly based on the survival of the culture. 

More Info at:  http://guampedia.com/chamorro-music-2/
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