RHYTHMS AND

MELODIES OF THE
HONDURAN MUSIC
The Music in Honduras is an art that is part of the traditional and social
culture of the country, with composers, musicians, singer-songwriters,
and other artists who have excelled both nationally and internationally.
Music in Honduras has flourished since pre-Hispanic times, long
before colonial times.
Honduran music is divided into three areas:
1. Indigenous ethnic area
2. Ethnic Creole or mestizo area.
3. Garifuna, Caribbean or Negroid ethnic area.
INDIGENOUS ETHNIC AREA

Historical event dating from before

the discovery of America. Much has
been studied about Lenca music,
traditions, as well as other groups
originating from pre-Hispanic tribes.
Some of the pre-Hispanic musical
instruments are the aerophones, the
clay frogs (a kind of whistles made
of clay or mud), etc.
INDIGENOUS ETHNIC AREA

Honduran cultural and ethnic

research reflects the existence of
folkloric dances:
1. The xixike: its name derives from
the sound produced by the rubbing of
the caite with the ground during the
dance. Its rhythm is ternary, the first
two beats are strong and the third is
soft.
INDIGENOUS ETHNIC AREA

2. La tusa: it takes its name from the

leaf that wraps the corn cob, which
the male dancers give as an offering
to their partner, a joke that upsets
their partners until they place an ear
of the plant on their hair.
INDIGENOUS ETHNIC AREA

3. Sos un ángel: dance that reminds

us how young people used to fall in
love with each other through music,
dance and popular poetry,
interspersed with "bombas" or
"coplas" to which the girls responded
to the participant's liking.
INDIGENOUS ETHNIC AREA

4. The chain: choreographic

figure represented by the
dancers intertwining their arms
when the dance is about to end.
INDIGENOUS ETHNIC AREA

• Among the folk songs of this area we have:

• a. Children rounds like Materine rine rero
• b. Peasant tunes
• c. Flores de mimé
• d. El Candú
• e. Arroz con leche
• f. Parindé
• g. La Valona
• h. El Pitero
CREOLE OR MESTIZO ETHNIC AREA.

Historical event dating from the colonization

of America by the Spanish crown. In the
music we find the following dances:
1. El torito pinto: the people of southern
Honduras remember with this dance the old
bullfights that provoked the joy and
excitement of the public.
CREOLE OR MESTIZO ETHNIC AREA

2. El zopilote: jocular dance

inspired by the walking and
jumping of the zopilote, a bird
of prey very abundant in
Central America.
CREOLE OR MESTIZO ETHNIC AREA

3. El barreño: it owes its name

to Don Juan de Barrio.
GARÍFUNA, CARIBBEAN OR NEGROID
ETHNIC AREA
Event that dates during and after the
conquest of America, which brings blacks
from Africa, the Garífuna culture arises.
The following dances are found in the
music:
1. Parrandas: refers to themes of the
community and mood of the people.
GARÍFUNA, CARIBBEAN OR NEGROID
ETHNIC AREA
2. Hungu hungu: is the cult to the afterlife.
GARÍFUNA, CARIBBEAN OR NEGROID
ETHNIC AREA
3. Chumba: it is about how women do
housework.
GARÍFUNA, CARIBBEAN OR NEGROID
ETHNIC AREA
4. Punta: dance, fertility ritual and
reproduction.
GARÍFUNA, CARIBBEAN OR NEGROID
ETHNIC AREA
5. Yankunu Wanaragua: it is about spiritual
communication.