El chiriguare
A caracara is an American bird of prey, largely found in South and Central America. In this song, the bird is rigged out with strange body parts.
El chiriguare
The Caracara
Canción de danza
Dance Song
(Spanish)
(English)
Cerca 'e la laguna
sale el chiriguare,
cerca 'e la laguna
sale el chiriguare,
con rabo de burro
y boca de bagre,
con rabo de burro
y boca de bagre.
Estribillo
Chiriguare, chiriguare,
zamurito te va comé,
chiriguare, chiriguare,
zamurito te va comé,
te va comé, te va comé,
te va comé, te va comé.
Dicen los vecinos
del pueblo 'e Campoma,
dicen los vecinos
del pueblo 'e Campoma,
que tiene pezuña
y tiene corona,
que tiene pezuña
y tiene corona.
(Estribillo)
El brujo Machuco
con sus dos peones
el brujo Machuco
con sus dos peones,
mata al chiriguare
con sus oraciones
mata al chiriguare
con sus oraciones.
(Estribillo)
Sale el zamurito
que estaba escondío
sale el zamurito
que estaba escondío
bailando un joropo
se comió al podrío,
bailando un joropo
se comió al podrío.
(Estribillo)
Near the lagoon
The caracara sets off,
Near the lagoon
The caracara sets off,
It has a donkey tail
And a catfish mouth.
It has a donkey tail
And a catfish mouth.
(Chorus)
Caracara, caracara,
The vulture's going to eat you.
Caracara, caracara,
The vulture's going to eat you,
It's going to eat you, it's going to eat you,
It's going to eat you, it's going to eat you.
The neighbors
From the town of Campoma say,
The neighbors
From the town of Campoma say
It has hooves
And it has a crown,
It has hooves
And it has a crown.
(Chorus)
The Wizard Machuco,
And his two assistants,
The Wizard Machuco,
And his two assistants,
Kill the caracara
With his prayers,
Kill the caracara
With his prayers.
(Chorus)
The vulture comes out,
It was hiding,
The vulture comes out,
It was hiding,
Dancing a joropo dance*,
He eats the rotten thing,
Dancing a joropo dance,
He eats the rotten thing.
(Chorus)
Notes
*Joropo: A musical style like the fandango, with an accompanying dance. It comes from the plains called "Los Llanos" of Colombia and Venezuela.
Game Instructions
There's no special choreography or steps for this dance.
The dancers stand in a circle or in two lines. They go one step forward to the rhythm of the music, then one step back to their spot. The "chiriguare" threatens them while dancing among them. The "wizard" and his two "assistants" come in and he pretends to kill the "chiriguare" with his prayers. The "chiriguare" then falls down, lying on the ground. In the last part, the "vulture" comes in and pretends to bite at the guts of the "chiriguare" with its beak.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Sheet Music
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Translation by Monique with Lisa.
Image: By Dan Pancamo - originally posted to Flickr as Caracara in Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, CC BY-SA 2.0.
¡Muchas gracias!