Video
"Zumbaquezumba" by Grupo Cimarrón and Carlos Quintero at 2005 Smithsonian Folklife Festival
The
joropo has two veins: the hard driving
golpe, and the slower, more lyrical
pasaje.
Golpe (from
golpear "to hit, to strike") refers to the percussive, strummed
cuatro patterns. There are at least eighteen common types of
golpe, each with its own name and distinctive sound.
Golpes are played by instruments alone, or include singing. Widely dispersed throughout the Colombo-Venezuelan plains, the
zumbaquezumba is the favorite
golpe for dueling verse improvisation, popular at plains fiestas, festival competitions, and shows. Here, Grupo Cimarrón performs "Zumbaquezumba" (Resound, Resound) featuring Carlos Quintero on the harp.