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What is Parang?
Posted : Apr 11, 2005 : 12:51:00 PM |
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Parang is a custom which originated in Trinidad’s Hispanic heritage, although the word parang is neither Spanish nor English: it is a colloquial term for parran, the abbreviation for parranda, and means ‘a spree or a group of four or more people who go out at night singing accompanied by musical instruments’. It also means ‘to wander without a fixed destination’. The term was introduced from Spain during the Spanish occupation of Trinidad (1498-1797), and was influenced by contact with neighbouring Venezuela.
In Trinidad, parang is traditionally celebrated during the Christmas season, from the last week in November to the ‘Day of the Kings’ or ‘Dia de los Reyes’, which is January 6; in recent times, it has been celebrated from as early as mid October until January. It involves parranderos visiting the homes of family, friends and patrons to sing songs in Spanish accompanied by the guitar, cuatro, maracas or chac chacs, mandolin, bandolins, violins, bandola, tiple – sometimes even the 'cello. Typically, the men are dressed in clean cut white shirts and black pants, and women are in the more flamboyant colours of red, yellow and green, sometimes with flowers in their hair.
At the host home they sing aguinaldos, or Christmas carols, about the Annunciation and the Nativity, or birth of Christ. After Christmas day, the aguinaldos relate the adoration of the Magi, the flight into Egypt, and the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Christ. Many of the songs are improvised, which calls for quickness of thought and of speech.
The celebration includes a lot of eating and drinking, and the dancing of the jorepo and the waltz. After supper the dancing and singing manzanares, estribillo, sabana blanca and guarapo (improvision) begin, to the merriment of all those in attendance. Two or three people in the group are chosen to improvise songs, and before leaving the host’s home parranderos request the best improviser to sing the praise of the host to the strains of a guarapo. |
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