During a series of entries we will carry out a chronology to understand the historical and ethnographic milestones that have shaped the zambomba, understood as a traditional music gathering. A precise study to address the present and the uncertain future of the zambomba. (The photo is courtesy of Juan Carlos Toro)
The zambomba is a very old cultural manifestation that It is not as flamenco as many believe; since its flamenco version is much more modern. Therefore, before going into the heart of the matter, I propose some initial questions in order to go delimiting the many aspects in which it unfolds its profiles. Always analyzing them from the current point of view; despite the fact that modernity is devouring the most deep-rooted popular traditions in leaps and bounds.
As in other subjects, the first task is to find the etymology from the term that is associated with this celebration. We all know “zambomba” It refers to a traditional popular musical instrument, but its polysemy extends to a gathering of people around its sound.
The zambomba, the instrument that gave its name to the meeting
If we speak in a technical way, the "zambomba" is a friction instrument that consists of a membrane normally made of suede, leather or skin and is one of the most onomatopoeia most precise in the Spanish language. It is curious how the word perfectly imitates the deep, hoarse sound that is transmitted from the reed (or cane) to the membrane. We should not believe that it is a typically “our” instrument.; it is also used in other countries for the development of their traditional music. In many places in Spain there are folkloric gatherings, increasingly fewer, such as the parranda or the aguinaldos that still preserve it. All this is noted because each region or locality tends to make “exclusive” whatever it wants.
Although it may seem paradoxical, the instrument that gave its name to the meeting is becoming more and more popular. cornered at his own partyIf the guitar was the first invading contribution, today the zambomba hides behind Peruvian drawers and other series of percussion elements that make the sound of the gathering very different from its origin.
We will also be specifying how they coexist today. different ways of presenting the carols in groups; from the most scarce and traditional zambombas where everyone participated, to Christmas shows where artists and spectators meet, moving on to purely flamenco performances where the carol is a mere initial pretext.
In any case, this instrument: the zambomba, ended up giving its name to the meeting musical theme around it. But in terms of nomenclature there is another term that is worth highlighting and that is “carol”. All this preamble, although it may not be believed, is very necessary to define the concepts that we will later develop.
Continued ...
Jose Maria Castano
I published these sections in an article for issue 163 of the prestigious flamenco magazine «Candil» of the Peña Flamenca from Jaén on the origin and evolution of the zambomba.
