Spanish Heritage Influence in Trinidad & Tobago

The Spanish has influenced our culture in many ways, it is reflected in our music, song, dance and
even food. At Christmas time, we play parang music, and eat a lot of pastelles. We dance
theCastillian Waltz ,all of which have come from our Spanish Heritage. The word parang is neither
Spanish nor English, it actually comes from the word parranda, meaning 'out parting'. In fact the
word parrandero that we use to describe parang revellers is a real Spanish word which means
'partylover' Music and dance go together, the Castillian Waltz is a slow, stately SpanishDance that is
popular during Christmas season in Trinidad and Tobago. It is a tradition in parang music and is
normally danced by senior citizens.Another dance introduced by the Spanish is the Maypole. When
the music begins, normally provided by cuatros, guitars, maracas, and singing inSpanish, the children
start dancing. As they dance, they move in and outaround each other and around a pole. They end
up with a neatly plaitedribbon covering the entire pole.The Roman Catholic religion is also
influenced by our Spanish Heritage. The Veloria de Cruz is a religious tradition in Trinidad & Tobago
that wasintroduced by the Spanish. It is actually a prayer and praise session devotedto a particular
saint.Another area where the Hispanics left their mark is food. Popular foods like, carambola,
sapadilla, granadilla, cassava bread, sancocho or sancoche, and pastelles all have a Hispanic
history.Spanish people, who were one of the original inhabitants of our country, leftus a lot more
than Spanish surnames, they left us a beautiful culture withmany parts that are Hispanic.
January 12, 1988 | RANDY LEWIS
"La Bamba '87." Various Artists. Original Sound. Thanks to the film about East L.A. rock star
Ritchie Valens and Los Lobos' hit version of Valens' 1958 hit, 1987 was the year of "La Bamba."
But that's no excuse for a travesty like this, in which Bob Keane, who produced the original
Valens single, has added horns, drums, singers and other new instrumental backing over the
Valens record to create "his vision of how 'La Bamba' would have sounded had Ritchie Valens
lived to record it today."