JARAMAR :: blanca

Growing up, I was immensely lucky to live in Morelia, the only city (other than Mexico City) that had a bellydance school. DAE or "Danza Arabe y Española" was more home than my real home. You couldn't get me out of there even if you tried. My teacher —and director of the school— Lupita taught us so many things... from how to create our own costumes, to how to behave in a theater setting. She even wrote a book of rules and inspirations so we could be prepared for our shows. She is one of the most resourceful people I know and always creating something new... always improving, reinventing herself. Sometimes it felt like we were a stuffy theater group, sometimes a vaudeville caravan. It was hard work but also so much fun being around her.

We danced to Egyptian and Turkish music, which I adored... and then there was this other type of music... the most mysterious, trance-inducing sounds... Just listening to it would conjure images from a distant past... and if you paid attention to the lyrics—which were hard to understand because they were a mix of languages of the Christians, Moors and Jews of Southern Spain— you would hear romantic and often tragic, even grim tales of old. My favorite was "Tres Morillas en Jaén", a popular 15th Century song from Spain, recorded  by 'Ars Antiqua' a wonderful Mexican ensemble. The song was about three Moorish girls living in Andalucia as seen through the eyes of a Christian. Unfortunately, all the available recordings of this song do not resemble the version I am describing with gorgeous instrumentation and the voice of Jaramar, so don't bother going to iTunes for that one.

Another favorite of mine was 'Romance del Enamorado y la Muerte', also sung by Jaramar. You couldn't really bellydance to that one, but listening was enough. Here's an approximate translation:

A dream I was dreaming last night
Little dream from my soul
I was dreaming that my love
I was holding in my arms.

In came a very white lady
Whiter than the cold snow
"How did you manage to get in?
How did you get in my love?
I know all the doors are locked
And so are the windows and shutters."

"I am not Love nor the lover
I am Death. I'm sent by God."

"Oh Death, how strict you are!
Let me live just for one day"

"Not one day, it cannot be
You have an hour to live."

So quickly he wore his shoes
Even faster he wore his clothes
There you see the lover go
He goes to where his lover lives.

"Open the white door for me
Open the white door, my girl."

"No, tonight it cannot be
Not a favorable occasion.
My father did not go to palace
And my mother is not sleeping."

"If you don't open tonight
My love, you won't open again
Death is coming after me
Next to you life it would be."

"Come here under the window
Where I used to carve and sew
I will throw you a silk cord
You can use it to climb up
If the cord's not long enough
I could also add my hair."

The silk cord broke
Death was coming near:
"Come now young lover
The hour has been reached."

I've published an iMix with some of my favorite Jaramar songs (some of her solo albums are available on iTunes). The songs come from a variety of countries, not just Spain. Sandunga and La Llorona are Mexican folk songs... aren't they beautiful? Hope you enjoy her as much as I do!