Capitulo 1A-Cultura
Pablo Picasso (born Ruiz) Painter
Born: October 25, 1881, Málaga, Spain Died: April 8, 1973, Mougins, France Full name: Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso Periods: Cubism, Picasso's Rose Period, Picasso's African Period,Picasso's Blue Period, Analytic cubism, Synthetic cubism Children: Paloma Picasso, Paul Joseph Picasso, Claude Pierre Pablo Picasso, Maya Widmaier-Picasso |
Biographies/Documentaries
- Pablo Picasso biography: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXLi9QKaPU4&list=PLEC038F377425B3C1
- Pablo Picasso…Masters of the Modern Era: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANqi-LuH5j8
Carlos Santana- Musician
Music group: Santana (Since 1967) Spouse: Cindy Blackman (m. 2010), Deborah Santana (m. 1973–2007) Children: Salvador Santana, Angelica Santana, Stella Santana Watermelon Man, Black Magic Woman, Oye Coma Va, Illegal, Virgen Morena |
Biographies/Documentaries
- Carlos Santana at Woodstock: http://www.biography.com/people/carlos-santana-9542276
- Top 10 Carlos Santana: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m509xbQsj18
One of the most important Dominican painters of the 20th century.
Jaime Antonio González Colson was born in Puerto Plata in 1901. In 1918, Colson studied at the Barcelona School of Fine Arts under the tutelage of painters Cecilio Pla y Gallardo, Julio Romero de Torres and Pedro Carbonell. From 1920 to 1923, he attended the San Fernando School of Fine Arts in Madrid, where he took classes with Joaquín Sorolla.
In Spain, he struck up friendships with artists of the stature of Maruja Mallo, Rafael Barradas and Salvador Dalí. In Paris, where he lived for several years, he came to know renowned figures such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, masters of the cubist school that influenced his style. Some of the pieces he produced during that time that show the cubist influence on his work were Naturaleza muerta and Familia catalana.
Colson lived in Mexico for four years, from 1934 through 1938, and became friends with Mexicans Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco, with Wifredo Lam, of Cuba, and Dominican philologist Pedro Henríquez Ureña. Works of his from this era include Bodegón, Desamparados andMerengue.
After a brief stay in Cuba, where he became friends with painter Mario Carreño, he returned to the Dominican Republic. On his native island, President Rafael L. Trujillo commissioned him for a portrait, which was never done. In 1939, he returned to Europe and spent ten years living alternately in Spain and France. In 1942, he painted El colegial, El lector and Hermanos. Later, he experimented with paintings with religious or mystical themes, including various ecclesiastical murals. Colson was a devoted Catholic his entire life and married his companion, Toyo Kurimoto, of Japan, in a Catholic ceremony. His exploration of religious themes also included other traditions, however, such as his Baquiní y la ciguapa del Camú from 1949, which shows a ritual wake for a dead infant. A year earlier, he had displayed El compte Arnau, one of his most colorful and famous works.
He returned to the Dominican Republic in 1950 when Trujillo named him General Manager of the School of Fine Arts. He resigned in 1952. He was admitted to the José María Cabral y Báez Hospital in Santiago de los Caballeros due to fatigue and alcoholism. After leaving the hospital, he began a solitary and quiet life in which he dedicated himself more fully to painting.
In the mid-1950s, his style mixed cubism with the theme of negritud. Rostro geométrico, Fiesta en Guachupita and El ídolo azul are examples. In 1954, he showed his series La catarsis(created in 1947) that disappeared three years later in the capital of Venezuela. Some critics consider it his masterpiece. The frank sexuality of the paintings caused a stir and the photographs of the series by Ana María Schwartz still remain.
Colson also wrote poetry and theatrical works. He dedicated the final years of his life to continuing his work and teaching the techniques of mural painting. He died of throat cancer in Santo Domingo on November 20, 1975.
Jaime Antonio González Colson was born in Puerto Plata in 1901. In 1918, Colson studied at the Barcelona School of Fine Arts under the tutelage of painters Cecilio Pla y Gallardo, Julio Romero de Torres and Pedro Carbonell. From 1920 to 1923, he attended the San Fernando School of Fine Arts in Madrid, where he took classes with Joaquín Sorolla.
In Spain, he struck up friendships with artists of the stature of Maruja Mallo, Rafael Barradas and Salvador Dalí. In Paris, where he lived for several years, he came to know renowned figures such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, masters of the cubist school that influenced his style. Some of the pieces he produced during that time that show the cubist influence on his work were Naturaleza muerta and Familia catalana.
Colson lived in Mexico for four years, from 1934 through 1938, and became friends with Mexicans Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco, with Wifredo Lam, of Cuba, and Dominican philologist Pedro Henríquez Ureña. Works of his from this era include Bodegón, Desamparados andMerengue.
After a brief stay in Cuba, where he became friends with painter Mario Carreño, he returned to the Dominican Republic. On his native island, President Rafael L. Trujillo commissioned him for a portrait, which was never done. In 1939, he returned to Europe and spent ten years living alternately in Spain and France. In 1942, he painted El colegial, El lector and Hermanos. Later, he experimented with paintings with religious or mystical themes, including various ecclesiastical murals. Colson was a devoted Catholic his entire life and married his companion, Toyo Kurimoto, of Japan, in a Catholic ceremony. His exploration of religious themes also included other traditions, however, such as his Baquiní y la ciguapa del Camú from 1949, which shows a ritual wake for a dead infant. A year earlier, he had displayed El compte Arnau, one of his most colorful and famous works.
He returned to the Dominican Republic in 1950 when Trujillo named him General Manager of the School of Fine Arts. He resigned in 1952. He was admitted to the José María Cabral y Báez Hospital in Santiago de los Caballeros due to fatigue and alcoholism. After leaving the hospital, he began a solitary and quiet life in which he dedicated himself more fully to painting.
In the mid-1950s, his style mixed cubism with the theme of negritud. Rostro geométrico, Fiesta en Guachupita and El ídolo azul are examples. In 1954, he showed his series La catarsis(created in 1947) that disappeared three years later in the capital of Venezuela. Some critics consider it his masterpiece. The frank sexuality of the paintings caused a stir and the photographs of the series by Ana María Schwartz still remain.
Colson also wrote poetry and theatrical works. He dedicated the final years of his life to continuing his work and teaching the techniques of mural painting. He died of throat cancer in Santo Domingo on November 20, 1975.
Dances of the Spanish-speaking World
Flamenco is a Spanish art form made up of three parts: guitar playing (“guitarra”), song (“cante”) and dance (“baile”). Flamenco originated in the southern regions of Spain, but it’s thought to be influenced by many world cultures, including Latin American, Cuban and Jewish traditions.
Originally flamenco dancing was not set to music; it was only singing and clapping of hands called “toque de palmas.” Some flamenco dancing still follows ancient tradition, but the use of guitars and other musical instruments has become more popular in modern flamenco. (read more...) Salsa...The Latin music we hear today has its origins in Cuba where the blending of African drum rhythms and Spanish guitar evolved into a variety of Latin American music: Son, Danzón, the rhythms of Carnival, Cha cha cha, Mambo, Salsa.....even Tango came out of Cuba. To find the roots of Cuban music we look to West Africa where the slave trade thrived. The Yoruba, Congo and other West African people created rhythms in ancient times to call forth various gods. Sadly, these wonderful rhythms were brought over to the New World under dire circumstances. One drummer named Ijibwa was taken captive and placed on a slave ship for America. He was forced to play on deck to keep up the spirits of the prisoners so that the "merchandise" would arrive alive. (read more...) Cumbia is one of the most melodic representative expressions of Colombia. It brings together three cultures - African, Indigenous and European. The African influence gives the rhythm of the drums while the Indigenous based flute blends in the melody. The European influence provides some variations in the melodies, choreography and costumes of the dancers.The origin of cumbia music comes from the days of slavery in the late 17th century and is derived from the African word cumbe which means dance. Another word was derived later in the Antioquia region of Colombia called caracumbe and was coined by African slaves who worked in the mines. A third variation of the word called paracumbé emerged and then disappeared as well as the term cumbancha which in Cuba means party. However, one thing is for certain, cumbia was born of a cultural mix of black and indigenous backgrounds. (read more...) Merengue is sometimes called the national dance of the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic shares the eastern two-thirds of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with its neighbour Haiti. Merengue music in turn shares similarities with the Haiti's Méringue or Mereng music. The Dominican Merengue is sung Spanish while the Haitian Mereng is sung in Haiti's native Creole. Merengue was also influenced by the Cuban music and dance called Upa Habanera. Merengue has not always been considered the national dance of the Dominican Republic. Since Merengue music has strong African roots, rather than European roots, the music and dance were initially rejected by the upper class and those with European roots. Merengue nevertheless prevailed and the the Dominican dictator (1930 - 1961) Rafael Trujillo aided in spreading its acceptance and popularity. (read more...) The Tango...The deep roots of Tango lie in African slavery. The Tango is a mixture of dances peculiar to Blacks in Haiti, Cuba and Argentina. Both the music and the dance were intense and erotic. Tango was first danced in Europe before World War I. It originates from Buenos Aires (Argentina) where it was first danced in the ghetto of Buenos Aires. It was then known under the name of "Baile con corte" (dance with a rest). During the Spanish American War, a popular dance called the "Habanera del Cafe" appeared which was the prototype of the Tango. The "dandies" of Buenos Aires changed the dance in two ways. First they changed the so-called "Polka rhythm" to the "Habanere rhythm" and secondly they called it "Tango". In 1907 the dance was introduced in France; by 1912 it crossed the channel to England. The dance was so popular in France and England that Tango teas became the rage. It was danced in the United States first by the Castles who elevated it to a dance accepted in any ballroom, by purifying it of its coarse associations and turning it into a thing of beauty. The Broadway show, Tango Argentino, helped to rekindle enthusiasm for this exciting, sensual dance. (read more...) |