MAQUERÚLE Traditional Columbian folksong Arranged for SATB unaccompanied choir by Julián Gómez Giraldo TRANSLATION AND PRONUNCIATION [makerule eraí un tßombo panadero de andagoja] Maquerúle era un chombo, panadero de Andagoya, Maquerúle was a chombo 1 a baker from Andagoya, [lo jamaban makerule seí aruino fjando mo oja] lo llamaban Maquerúle, se arruinó fiando mogolla. They called him Maquerúle, he ruined himself lending credit [pongale la mano al pan makerule] Póngale la mano al pan, Maquerúle Put your hand on the bread (knead the bread) [pongale la mano al pan pa ke sude] Put your hand on the bread (knead the bread), work up a sweat pongale la mano al pan makerule] Póngale la mano al pan Maquerúle Put your hand on the bread (knead the bread) [pongale la mano al pan pa ke sude] Put your hand on the bread (knead the bread), work up a sweat [makerule noí staí aki makeruleí sta kondoto] Maquerúle no está aquí, Maquerúle está Condoto, Maquerúle not is here, Maquerúle is in Condoto 1 Chombo is a term for a person of African descent used in Panama. From the reading I have done (and what I have been able to find is limited and not scholarly), the term has been used historically as a derogative, but over time seems to have become a term of endearment. That being said, I would strongly suspect that the term would not be welcomed from many. In other words, I feel the term is problematic. Rather than not perform the song, we will substitute the more generic hombre for chombo. One of my sources was the blog, The Silver People Chronicle - a site devoted to the West Indian people of Panama. The article that explores the history of the word chombo can be found here: http://thesilverpeoplechronicle.com/2008/11/chombo.html
[kwando ńga makerule su mu ŕ se fuí kon otro] Cuando venga Maquerúle, su mujer se fu é con otro. When he comes back, Maquerúle, his wife will have left with another [pongale ] Póngale [makeruleí a masa í l pan i lo ńde de kontado] Maquerúle a masa el pan, y lo vende de contado, Maquerúle makes the bread and he sells for cash [makerule ja no kjŕe ke su pan se ńda fjando] Maquerúle ya no quiere, que su pan se venda fiando. Maquerúle no wants that his bread he sells for credit [pongale ] Póngale 1. Maquerúle era un chombo, panadero de Andagoya, lo llamaban Maquerúle, se arruinó fiando mogolla. Póngale la mano al pan, Maquerúle Póngale la mano al pan Maquerúle 2. Maquerúle no está aquí, Maquerúle está Condoto, Cuando venga Maquerúle, su mujer se fu é con otro. Póngale 3. Maquerúle a masa el pan, y lo vende de contado, Maquerúle ya no quiere, que su pan se venda fiando. Póngale 1. Maquerúle was a baker fellow from Andagoya, they called him good old Maquerúle going broke selling on credit. Knead the bread, Maquerúle, work it out Work the bread with your hands, sweat it out, 2. Maquerúle isn t here, Maquerúle is in Condoto, When he comes back, he ll find his wife s gone off with another. 3. Maquerúle kneads the bread, but now he sells cash only. Maquerúle doesn t want to sell his bread on credit.
RECORDINGS Coral Santisima Trinidad de Valencia con el coro de pequeños cantores y el Coro de la Eliana, dirigidos magistralmente por Basilio Astulez: https://youtu.be/pxmjf8nd52m This is great for the choreography. Roscommon Chamber Choir 2010: https://youtu.be/xjrcqq_kljw Publisher provided recording: https://www.jwpepper.com/sheet-music/mediaplayer.jsp?&type=audio&productid=10010448 REHEARSAL TRACKS Tracks by Matthew Curtis Soprano: https://youtu.be/9ykzjpcdihu Alto: https://youtu.be/u3tkxsk8w2c Tenor: https://youtu.be/krgwt_1iyjc Bass: https://youtu.be/ztppizrvsw8 ANALYSIS Key: F major, modulates to G major Meter: 2/4 Form: Verse/ SECTION MEASURE EVENT AND SCORING Introduction 1 10 Women only small group or solo on melody, supported by remaining voices; 1 st verse sung slowly Verses 11 18 All three verses are harmonized in exactly the same way: S sings melody, A harmonizes mainly a third below homorhythmically; basses have an instrumental bass line that provides rhythmic drive and outlines the harmony the text imitates the sound of a baker punching the bread dough down; tenors have a rhythmic ostinato that supports the harmony es 1 and 2 19 44 Ms. 19 26: The chorus has a call-and-response feel; most of the calls, póngale la mano al pan, are lead by the altos, followed by a response that uses the Maquerúle rhythm. 27 34: Similar call and response, with tenors leading the call on Pim pam pum which, again, are both nonsense syllables and onomatopoetic representations of pounding down the bread dough. 35 44: This section introduces a new melody on la it is
sung in canon as a duet between S/A and T/B S and T sing melody and A/B harmonize mainly in thirds Break 46 61 This is a layered break. Each voice comes in with a theme that represents the sound of an instrument each voice sings their theme 2x before the next voice enters. B double bass S piano A Trumpets T Trumpets 3 62 85 Modulates to G major; 62 69: Very similar to 19-26; be careful to note the minor changes within your own part there are a few, especially in the bass and tenor lines. 70 77: Very similar to 27-34, but different enough that you will need to check your part DON T DO THIS ON AUTOMATIC PILOT 78 85: Nearly identical to 62 69 aside from final chord. HOW TO LEARN THIS PIECE This arrangement looks extremely difficult when you see it on paper, but it is not really hard. If you keep the following things in mind while learning it, you will pick it up quickly: There are two basic rhythms to master, which will help you sing the entire piece. The first is the rhythm for the name Maquerúle. The other is the rhythm for póngale la mano al pan (see images below). Figure 1 Maquerúle
Figure 2 Póngale la mano al pan There are basically only two chords in this song the I chord and the V chord. If you can hear these chord changes, you will have very little trouble finding your pitches, as most of them belong to either one or the other of those chords. Listen to the recordings there are some very good ones out there, and this will help you pick this up very quickly.