Panamanian Music: Tipico or Pindin

HISTORY

Panamanian typical music comes from folklore and tradiditonal trends influenced in one way or the other by European dancer and African drums.

It all started when the Spanish conquerors arrived on the isthmus in the early part of the XVIth Century. Music was part of the long journey made by the sailors who brought styles and dances such as flamenco, tap dance or "zapateo" known today as "mejorana" dance accompanied by rustic guitars. Many slaves were brought to Panama during XVIIth, XVIIIth, and XIXth centuries and tehy brought with them their homemade drums that were heard on the docks as well as in tobacco and sugar plantations. Panamanians adopted theses rhythms and created fusions such as tamborito, tamborera, punto, denesa, mejorana and zarancude. The Spanish influence merged with the African rhythms. Today decimas (ten line verses) are similar to those from Spain and are sung backed by guitars. These ten line verses reflect the feeling of the common person in the streets.

Dances, above all, are choreagraphed with African movements as in the case of congos from Colon. The tamborito es played with the small drums known as bonko chemiya in Cuba, with roots in a bigger African drum known as "yucca." The rhythm is danced by women dressed in colorful "polleras" and sandals wearing golden jelwery and men with stylishly adorned white "guayaberas" shirts, and the "montun" hat known also as "pintao."

Another aspect of Panamanian typical music are the "Diablitos Sucios" (Dirty Evils) dressed in colorful outfits and masks who tap dance as they clap with the Spanish castanuts. Theses dances represent good against evil and the struggles that indigenous groups had with the conquerors.

TIPICO OR PINDIN

The music genre that predominates in Panama and that best defines what our typical music is like is "tipico" or "pindin"which includes instruments such as guiro, conga and especially the accordion. Some Panamanian famous artists are Ulpiano Vergara, Dorindo Cardenas, Victorio Vergara and the siblings Samy and Sandra Sandoval just to name a few.

MODERN TIMES

Reggae en Espanol originated in Panama, known as Spanish Reggae is very popular among youth and some of the pioners of this music genre are El General, Nando Boom, Renato, Aldo Ranks, and so on. As of 2006, Panama has become a major source and contributor, and especially as Reggaeton from Panama is on the rise and continues to dominate charts in the United States and broad.