Dear Friends, Here is another piece that we performed this past 5th of September in Tucumán: COCA MAMA by Pablo Gonzalez Jazey with poetry by Nestor Néstor Hipólito Soria. For this performnace we were honored to be joined by Lucho Hoyos, just as the original arrangment appears on our CD “Norte”. The concert was part of the September International Music Festival of Tucumán organized by the Ente Cultural de Tucumán with the support of the Ministerio de Cultura de la Nación. The translation of the song and explanations about it appear below. Thank you to Thomas Tom Haran for his help and advice in the translation. Thank you to Jose Alarcon for the mix and masterization of the audio. The video was recorded by Charly Corrado, Barbara Tarcic y Hugo Daniel Robles and lighting by Luis Goñi. Hope you enjoy! ROSA INCAICA Annelise Skovmand, voice Manuel Arroyo, piano, sikus Jero Santillan, bass Luis Alberto Mercado U, percussion Pablo Gonzalez Jazey, guitar, arrangements y musical direction https://youtube/watch?v=HbFwI5fU2-0 COCA MAMA is an “aire de huayno” a dance-form from the Northern regions of Argentina and the highlands of the Andes Mountains (Bolivia and Peru). In his poem, Nestor Soria acclaims the tradition of the Coca leaf, or Mamacoca, its importance and, as he calls her, the figure of “Coca Mama”. The people of the region hold fast to the Coca leaf with its enduring spiritual and cultural importance, an inherited tradition from indigenous tribes (Quechua and Aymara) dating to the pre-Incan era. In the guidebook of the Coca Museum of La Paz, SdenkaSilva writes the following: In Andean culture, Mamacoca (the coca leaf) is the divine connection, the intercessor between God and the rest. Coca invites the soul to extend and strengthen the bonds of affinity and of reciprocation. When seeking acceptance into a community or family, coca opens the door to increased confidence (in the bearer) and courage and acts as a symbol of bearing good intentions. The acullico, the way the Coca leaf is consumed, entails stripping the leaf from the vein, then placing a select number of leaves inside the cheek and lightly chewing or sucking on the leaves. Volcanic ash or baking soda can be added to help the leaves release the nutrients and alkaline substances into the mouth. This produces a “feeling of increased awareness, an anaesthetization to pain to hardship, and a light tingling in the mouth. The process is comparable to Westerners drinking coffee”; though, it does not have the same addictive properties. The Coca leaf is not cocaine – though this is the common misconception outside the Andes Mountains. Cocaine is a substance that can be extracted from the leaves only through a complex chemical process involving acids and other chemical substances. The chewing of Coca leaves gives a natural boost of energy and helps alleviate altitude sickness and hunger. It was used, and still is used today, by the people working in the mines and is used as an offering to the earth. Translation by Annelise Skovmand (This is a literal translation of the poem and unfortunately does not maintain the beauty of the original.) COCA MAMA (Mother Coca) Words: Nestor Soria Music: Pablo Gonzalez Jazey Coca Mama, little ancient leaf, Tata Yaya (1), Uiracocha (2) (God) sowed you so that men could grow wise through their mouths. Coca Mama of the Incas, I come from Colla Suyo (3), cast off my memory for being one of yours. When we were crushed in the mines, fiercely; if you were not there, Coca Mama my people disappeared. A gush of saliva for those who have nothing to eat, for those men of my kind and of other kinds of men, too. When the world grows dark to start over again, Coca Mama, I will, without a doubt, have to save my acullico (4). Coca Mama of the poor, slightly bitter in my throat, you are a sweet honey-stick when I find myself without money. Coca Mama, little green leaf, swept by bare feet (5) and hidden in the mountains from trafficking pirates. If I am stirred up, Coca Mama in the boliche (6), the reflection of my glass shines brighter than a hundred candles. A gush of saliva for those who have nothing to eat, for those men of my kind and of other kinds of men, too. When the world grows dark to start over again, Coca Mama, I will, without a doubt, have to save my acullico. ------------------------ (1) Tata Yaya – “Father God” Quechua phrase referring to the Father creator. Tata is an endearing term to refer to a father. (2) Uiracocha or Viracocha – Incan term for God (3) Colla Suyo was the Southern-most region of the Incan Empire. It extended from south of Cuzco in Peru through the highlands of the Andes from Bolivia to the Rio Maule in Chile and from the Coasts of the Pacific to the plains of Santiago del Estero in Argentina. (4) Acullico is a Quechua term referring to the ball of coca leaves held inside the cheek that helps quench thirst, hunger and exhaustion. (5) Fresh leaves are laid out on mats in the sun to dry and to make sure they all dry evenly are swept around with bare feet. (6) Boliche is a type of tavern.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 16:54:08 +0000
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