The guitar is used for the malambo melodies.
Malambo is a dance that is part of Argentine folklore . It is a type of dance performed by men , characterized by tapping .
instrumental songs
Emerging around the 18th century in the Pampas plain, the malambo is played with a guitar and a percussion instrument known as a bombo legüero . It is important to note that malambo songs are instrumental: that is, they lack lyrics.
The basis of malambo, which is also danced in some regions of Uruguay and Chile , is the movement of the feet and legs. Dancers can perform the steps individually or in a group. In some cases, competitive counterpoints are carried out.
The movements of the malambo (the movements that, within the framework of the dance , are executed in time) are back and forth. In this way, you first do a tap dance and then repeat it, but with the other foot.
As for the clothing of the dancers, it is usual for them to wear the characteristic clothing of the gauchos . The pony boots, the field panties, the vest and the chiripá are usually part of the attire of those who dance malambo.
Northern and southern
It is possible to differentiate between the northern malambo and the southern malambo , since the dance acquired certain particularities depending on the area . There are those who also speak of central malambo . Although it emerged in the Pampas plain, its rapid spread gave rise to these two great types of malambo, which were born in part due to the social and cultural differences of the different areas that adopted it. Below we will see some of the main differences, taking into account the most important aspects, which are music , clothing and moving .
The northern malambo is characterized by a greater speed in its music, although this difference has been diluted with the passage of time. We can also point out that the guitar strum is not the same either. The aforementioned clothing responds more to the southern malambo : the boots were made with donkey or horse leather and did not have soles; The chiripá was placed between the legs and adjusted to the waist with a strap; a screened underpants, which is a straight and long pair of pants , and finished in embroidery; Lastly, the jacket was optional, although a vest was worn.
In the north, given the differences in climate and soil, boots were made with cow leather and had a sole; Screened underpants and chiripá were not worn to prevent them from hindering movement in areas of thick vegetation, but rather they were replaced by panties; On top, the clothing included the poncho. Regarding the removals, the main difference is in the impact against the ground, since the boots were not the same. Those in the north are stronger and more abundant, while in the south movements of the entire leg are more common.
Although the malambo's clothing varies from north to south, it responds to that of the Argentine gaucho.
National Malambo Festival
It should be noted that, in January of each year, the National Malambo Festival is celebrated in the city of Laborde (province of Córdoba ). The first edition of this event took place in 1966 .
It all began in 1947, when some members of the San Martín Catholic Center founded the Friends of Art Association with the aim of promoting theater, reading, choral singing and folklore, among other artistic expressions. A decade later, the performances of Anival Calderón and Julio Barros , malambo dancers, created great interest in this dance in Laborde. Thus, the founders of the association decided to create the aforementioned festival, which year after year grew in popularity until it transcended national borders.