Parang

Parang is a popular folk music originating from Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago that was brought to Trinidad and Tobago by Venezuelan and Colombian migrants who were primarily of Amerindian, Spanish, Mestizo, Pardo, Cocoa panyol, and African heritage, something which is strongly reflected in the music itself. The word is derived from two Spanish words: parranda, meaning "a spree or fête", and parar meaning "to stop".

For other uses, see Parang (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Farang.

Parang
Stylistic origins	Joropo, Jota, Venezuelan music, Colombian music, Latin American music, Spanish music, Trinidadian music
Cultural origins	Venezuela, Colombia, and Trinidad and Tobago
Typical instruments	Cuatro - Maracas - guitar - vocals - Violin - Claves - caja - mandolin - tambourine - steelpan
Fusion genres
Chutney parang and Parang soca

Music of Trinidad and Tobago
General topics
Related articles
Genres
Calinda Cariso Kaiso Calypso Extempo Bélé Pichakaree Soca Chutney Chutney Soca Baithak Gana Bhajan Indian classical music Indian folk music Parang Parang soca Chutney parang Rapso Ragga soca Bouyon soca Afrosoca Groovy soca Power soca Reggae Rhythm Section Tassa Steelpan Steelband soca Brass band
Specific forms
Religious music	Christian: Gospel Hindu: Bhajan · Kirtan Islamic: Nasheed · Qasida · Sufi
Ethnic music	Indian: Baithak Gana · Bhajan · Chutney · Chutney parang · Chutney Soca · Indian classical music · Indian folk music · Kirtan · Pichakaree · Tassa African: Afrosoca · Bélé · Bouyon soca · Calinda · Calypso · Canboulay · Cariso · Extempo · Groovy soca · Kaiso · Parang soca · Power soca · Ragga soca · Rapso · Reggae · Soca · Steelband soca · Steelpan
Media and performance
Music media	Music television Synergy TV Tempo Networks Trinidad and Tobago Entertainment Network (TTEN)
Nationalistic and patriotic songs
National anthem	Forged from the Love of Liberty
Regional music
Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Aruba and the Dutch Antilles Bahamas Barbados Belize Bermuda Bonaire Cayman Islands Costa Rica Cuba Curaçao Dominica Dominican Republic Grenada Guadeloupe Guyana Haiti Jamaica Louisiana Martinique Montserrat Panama Puerto Rico St Kitts and Nevis St Lucia St Vincent and Grenadines Suriname Turks and Caicos Virgin Islands

In the past, it was traditional for parang serenaders to pay nocturnal visits to the homes of family and friends, where part of the fun was waking the inhabitants of the household from their beds. Today, parang is especially vibrant in Trinidad and Tobago communities such as Paramin, Lopinot, and Arima.

A new form of parang, soca parang, has emerged. Soca parang is a combination of soca and parang.

Performance

In Trinidad, traditional parang music is largely performed around Christmastime, when singers and instrumentalists (collectively known as the parranderos) travel from house to house in the community, often joined by friends and neighbours family etc. using whatever instruments are at hand. Popular parang instruments include the cuatro (a small, four-string guitar) and maracas (locally known as chac-chacs). Other instruments often used are violin, guitar, claves (locally known as toc-toc), box bass (an indigenous instrument), tambourine, mandolin, bandol, caja (a percussive box instrument), and marimbola (an Afro-Venezuelan instrument). In exchange for the entertainment, parranderos are traditionally given food and drink: pasteles, pastelle, sorrel, rum and Ponche Crema (a form of alcoholic eggnog).

While traditional house-to-house caroling tradition is still practised by some small groups and larger organized groups, modern parang music has also developed a season of staged performances called parang fiestas, held from October through to January each year, culminating in a national parang competition. Today, parang is especially vibrant in Trinidad and Tobago communities such as Paramin, Lopinot, and Arima.

Varieties

Traditional parang music includes a variety of song types:

• aguinaldo or serenal: relating to the stories of the nativity of Christ similar to European carols played in the Canary Islands and Andalusia;
• guarapo: a secular song, often with passages of improvised lyrics where content and length vary according to the skill of the lead singer;
• estribillo: a lively call-and-response style song;
• rio Manzanares: a Venezuelan waltz which celebrates the different aspects of the Manzanares River of Cumaná, Venezuela;
• joropo: similar in style to the Spanish waltz;
• galerón;
• picón;
• despedida: a song of farewell and gratitude.

Since the 1950s, parang has become more popularised, giving birth to "soca parang", a fusion of soca and parang with lyrics in English. While still festive in nature, the lyrics often refer to North American cultural elements such as Santa Claus.

Parang has also been fused with chutney, a form of vocal music indigenous to Trinidad, influenced by Indian rhythms and sometimes sung in Hindi. This fusion forms chutney parang.

Parang artists

Notable parang bands and artists include Gloria Alcazar San Jose Serenaders, Daisy Voisin La Divina Pastora, Henry Perreira, Sharlene Flores Flores De San Jose, Leon Caldero, Baron, Scrunter, Jacqueline Charles, Lara Brothers, Francisca Allard & Philip Allard (Dinamicos), Los Tocadores, Fuego Caribeño , Irvys Juarez, Rhonda Rosales, Los Parranderos de UWI, Los Alumnos de San Juan and del Caribe, Las Estrellas De Paramin, Los Paramininos, Los Alacranes. Other popular bands include:

1. A La Rio Suave
2. Amantes de Parranda (Barataria)
3. Amores de Musica
4. Ay Caramba
5. Brasso Seco Parranderos
6. Canciones Melodicas of Santa Cruz
7. Carib Santa Rosa
8. Carib Shaman
9. Con Amor
10. Courts Rio Senores
11. Courts Ruisenores (Pointe-a-Pierre)
12. New Image Serenaders
13. Del Caribe
14. Dinámicos
15. Dulzura Caliente
16. El Sabor (St. Joseph, Maracas)
17. Flores de San Jose
18. Fuego Caribeño ( South Vistabella)
19. G. Sharp and Friends
20. Hermanos Latinos
21. Homer Parranderos Parang Band (Sangre Grande)
22. Levantamientos Petrotrin
23. La Casa Parranda (Princes Town)
24. La Libertad
25. La Divina Pastora
26. La Estrella de Oriente
27. La Familla Alegria
28. La Familia de Camona y Amigos (Edinburgh Gardens Phase 3, Chaguanas)
29. La Familia De Rio Claro
30. La Familia De San Raphael (Gallon)
31. La Finca Paranda
32. La Ruseda de Agua (Diego Martin)
33. La Sagrada Familia
34. La Santa Familia
35. La Santa Maria
36. La Tropical
37. Lara Brothers (Cantaro Village, Santa Cruz)
38. Las Buenas Nuevas (Santa Rosa, Arima)
39. Las Estrellita de Oriente
40. Lopinot Paranderos
41. Los Alacranes from Paramin
42. Los Alumnos de San Juan
43. Los Amantes de Parranda
44. Los Amigos Cantadores (Trincity)
45. Los Amigos De Jesus (La Canoa, Santa Cruz)
46. Los Amigos en Musica
47. Los Buenos Paranderos (Hard Bargain)
48. Los Buenos Paranderos (El Dorado)
49. Los Caballeros
50. Los Caneros
51. Los Cantadores de Brazil
52. Los Campaneros
53. Los Cantos de Amor
54. Los Hermanos Lara
55. Los Muchachos del Agua
56. Los Ninos de Santa Rosa
57. Los Ninos del Mundo
58. Los Originales (Diego Martin)
59. Los Pajaros (Brampton, Ontario, Canada)
60. Los Paramininos
61. Los Paranderos Amigos
62. Los Paranderos de UWI (UWI – St. Augustin)
63. Los Pastores (Palo Seco)
64. Los Pavitos
65. Los Reyes1
66. Los Tocadores and Peter Estrada
67. Michael Carabai (Stafford, Virginia, USA)
68. Moments Parang Group
69. Morella Montano and the Maraval Folk Choir
70. Mucho Tempo
71. Parang Lovers International (Queens New York).
72. Paramininos (Paramin Maraval)
73. Rancho Quernado
74. Rebuscar
75. Rembunction
76. Rio Suave Los Buenos Parranderos
77. Sabor del Caribe (Enterprise, Chaguanas)
78. San Jose Serenaders
79. Sancouche (Point Fortin)
80. Santa Rosa Serenaders
81. St Augustine's Son del Sueno
82. Starlight Serenaders (Brooklyn, New York)
83. Sun Valley Parang Group
84. Un Amor
85. Unidad Serenaders (Mt Pleasant, Arima)
86. Universal Rhythms (was Universal Parang) (Canada)
87. Viva Nueva
88. Voces Jovenes

Noted parang-soca artists include Scrunter, Baron, Crazy, Leon Coldero, Singing Francine, Marcia Miranda and Big B.

External links