Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Music
Folkloric music and dance received a huge boost from the revolution, which sought to mine
Nicaraguan culture for cultural resources rather than import more popular options, quite
possibly at great cost. As a result, you'll probably be able to see a musical or dance per-
formance during even a short visit, the most convenient being
Noches Verbenas,
held every
Thursday evening at the Mercado Artesanías (National Artisans Market) in Masaya. Also
check out cultural centers, close to the Parque Central in most larger towns, or at the muni-
cipal theaters in Granada, León and Managua, to see what's on.
Fiestas patronales
(patron
saint parties) are a good time to catch a performance, which in the northern highlands will
likely have a polka component.
Perhaps the most important musical form is marimba, usually played on xylophones
made of precious wood with names like 'The Lovers,' 'Dance of the Black Woman,' and
'Fat Honey,' which you'll enjoy over a cold glass of
chicha
(mildly alcoholic corn bever-
age) at some shady Parque Central. The guardians of this and other traditional forms of Ni-
caraguan music are the Mejía Godoy brothers (see
www.losmejiagodoy.com
), whom you
can (and should) catch live in Managua.
Marimba music was given a new sense of cool with the arrival on the scene of La Cuneta
Son Machín (lacunetasonmachin.com), a cumbia-rock fusion group heavily influenced by
traditional Nicaraguan sounds. If you get the chance, make sure to check out their energetic
live performances.
On the Atlantic coast reggae and country are king but there are also homegrown sounds
including upbeat Maypole music, which is often accompanied by spicy dance moves, and
Miskito pop, heavily influenced by the electronic keyboard music of rural churches where
many of the musicians learned to play.
Considering how few venues there are available for them to play, new talents are plenti-
ful in Nicaragua. If you're looking for laid-back electronica, try Momotobo. Quirky bossa-
pop fans should hunt down anything by Belén, while Division Urbana is probably the best
of many groups doing the hard rock thing. Manu Chao fans will probably like Perrozom-
popo, and for sheer lyrical beauty, floating melodies and electro-pop crossover, keep an eye
out for discs by Clara Grun.
