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Thevals criollo (English:Creole waltz), orPeruvian waltz (Spanish:vals peruano), is an adaptation of the Europeanwaltz brought to theAmericas during colonial times bySpain. In theViceroyalty of Peru, the waltz was gradually adapted to the likings of theCriollo people. In the 20th century, the genre became symbolic of the nation's culture as it gained widespread popularity in the country. It also became popular outside of Peru, particularly inArgentina, where local artists composed many notable Peruvian waltz compositions such asAmarraditos andQue nadie sepa mi sufrir.
"La Guardia Vieja," translated as "the old guard," was a time period in Peru approximately from 1900 to 1920 in which as a result of the combination of European,Afro-Peruvian, and indigenous musical elements thevals criollo emerged among the public. The music is characterized by the use oftriple metre, sometimescompound duple time, and the lyrics consist of verses instrophic form with intercalatedchoruses.[1] Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, thevals criollo became the main musical expression of the urban working class, with its lyrics reflecting their cultural personality, conflicts, and value systems. Composers such asFelipe Pinglo Alva, Laureano Martinez, Carlos Saco,Filomeno Ormeño Belmonte, and Alicia Maguiña enriched and drove the music at the time.[2]
In the 1940s, groups like Los Trovadores del Perú, Los Chalanes del Perú and later Los Morochucos y Los Embajadores Criollos created a unique sound that made the now calledVals Criollo and music more distinct from the European Waltz and other dances ofSouth America such as theTango. By the 1950s, popular composer and singerChabuca Granda helped in making the music widely known throughoutLatin America, and the nameVals Peruano in time became used to refer to the dance in countries outside ofPeru. In theArgentine tango community a special style of tango developed, adapted to the music ofvals criollo, and commonly known simply asvals. Granda's song "La flor de la canela" is considered the unofficial anthem ofLima, the Peruvian capital.
At the height of its national and international popularity, the sounds of the 1950s and into the 1970s were introduced into the Vals Peruano by musicians and singers such asLucha Reyes, Los Morochucos,Los Troveros Criollos, Fiesta Criolla and later onEva Ayllón,Arturo Cavero and Oscar Avilés.
In modern times, the Vals Peruano, although softer and less traditional than before, still remains a widely popular symbol of Peruvian culture and still holds a certain degree of popularity inLatin American society.
Musica criolla such as thevals criollo typically includes two main instruments that symbolically represent European and African heritage: the guitar and thecajón. Typically, the lead guitarist plays solos and strongly plucked phrases on the upper strings, while a second guitarist performs riffs (bordones) on the two lowest strings and strums rhythmically. In the early part of the twentieth century, guitars, hand clapping and singing were the traditional instrumentation. By the mid-twentieth century, the cajón was incorporated, providing a rhythmic base for the music.[3]