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Murga is a form of popularmusical theatre performed inArgentina,Panama,Spain andUruguay during theCarnival season. Murga groups also operate in theBuenos Aires Carnival, though to a lesser extent than in Montevideo; the Argentinian murga is more centred on dancing and less on vocals than the Uruguayan one. Uruguayan murga has a counterpart inCádiz, Spain, from which it is derived, thechirigota, but over time the two have diverged into distinct forms.
Argentine murga is part of the cultural heritage ofBuenos Aires, where it is almost exclusively performed. It has considerable influence fromcandombe and other African dances and music.[1]Murgaporteña places a considerable emphasis on dance and instrumentals, more so than lyrics (in contrast to Uruguayan murga). Performances take place in the form of parades (known ascorsos) across the various neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires; some groups feature not only dancers and musicians but alsojugglers,stilts, flagbearers, and other types of visually stimulating elements.Corsos take place throughout the year, but are recurrent during carnival season in February.[2]
A very famous song involving a Murga is the song "El Matador" by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. It also incorporates the use of awhistle, a very common element in the Argentine Murga.[3]
Panamanian murga was pioneered by Manuel Consuegra Gómez in the mid-20th century; Consuegra Gómez mixed traditional carnival rhythms that existed inLas Tablas andChitré with larger orchestra-style ensembles.[4] The style was referenced inHéctor Lavoe andWillie Colón's songLa Murga de Panamá.[5]
Uruguayan murga is typically performed inMontevideo.[6] Uruguayan murga performances feature up to 17 performers, usually men. In the period preceding Carnival, which takes place from late January to early March inUruguay, each group will prepare a musical play consisting of a suite of songs andrecitative (heightened speech) lasting around 45 minutes. This suite will be performed on community stages known astablados, set up in Montevideo's various neighbourhoods, throughout the Carnival period. Groups also vie against one another in a prestigious official competition.
Lyrical content is based on a particular theme, chosen by the group, which serves to provide commentary on events in Uruguay or elsewhere over the preceding year. Consequently, murga lends itself well to being used as a form of popular resistance. For example, during the dictatorship in Uruguay in the 1970s, groups likeAraca La Cana [es] became known for their left-wing tendencies, subversive commentary and oppositional stance.
A traditional murga group is composed of achorus and three percussionists and this is the type of murga performed on stages at Carnival. The singers perform in polyphony using up to five vocal parts. Vocal production tends to be nasal and loud with little variation in volume. The percussion instruments, derived from the European military band, arebombo (a shallowbass drum worn at the waist and played horizontally),redoblante (snare drum) andplatillos (clashcymbals). The two most important pieces of the performance are the opening song (saludo) and the exit song (retirada ordespedida). These get played on the radio during the Carnival period and some of them, such as the Saludo Araca La Cana 1937, are cherished by Uruguayans as cultural icons.
Murguistas dress in elaborate, colourful, jester-like costumes. Staging is sparse with minimal use of props. The singers tend to be foregrounded with the percussionists at the back or off to the side of the stage.
The musical style or rhythmic structures of the murga is sometimes incorporated into Uruguayan popular music. Examples of artists who have included murga in their arrangements areJaime Roos,Rubén Rada,No Te Va Gustar,Máximo Diego PujolWashington Luna [es], andAlejandro Balbis. It has also been incorporated by some Argentine artists, such asBersuit Vergarabat,Los Auténticos Decadentes,Ariel Prat [es] andLos Fabulosos Cadillacs.
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