‘Las Castañuelas’ Performance Highlights TAMIU's ‘Music on the Menu’
An opportunity to be dazzled by a live performance on a little-seen percussion instrument, the castanet, took center stage at the February 28 “Music on the Menu” performance at Texas A&M International University’s (TAMIU) Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall.
The performance was free of charge and open to all.
Leading the performance of “Las Castañuelas” was Altagracia Azios García, legendary Laredo dancer and instructor who has long championed the art of Spanish flamenco dance here. The use of castanets (castañuelas in Spanish) anchors traditional flamenco dance performances.
García joined a 10-member performance group and also provided insight into the performance and the group’s history. Some members have been part of the group for over 20 years.
Performing members included García, Anna Isabel Alvarez, Elvira Jackson, Sandra Muñoz, Jackie Jacaman, Dr. Carmen Rathmell, Shawn Young, Erica García, Tracey Sánchez and Lizzy Villarreal. The group usually meets weekly for rehearsals or performances.
Castañuelas are a hand percussion instrument whose origins are believed to date back thousands of years and have long been a part of Spanish dances and folklore. Most consist of a pair of concave wooden shells joined along one edge by a string. Held in the hand, they create clicks that act as rhythmic accents and are made of hardwoods such as chestnut.
In classical play, castanets are usually attached to each thumb on each hand. One simple rhythm is played on the left-hand pair while the right-hand pair usually plays a more complex rhythm. In the folkloric playing style, they can be attached to multiple fingers on each hand, are usually bulkier, and have a lower pitch. Sounds occur by flicking the wrists against the palms.
García, a dance teacher for over 43 years, has long been fascinated with castanets and although many might see them as complements, she has a larger view.
“Usually dancers use them to complement their dances...but they have a language of their own,” she said in a 2022 interview.
Music on the Menu at TAMIU is a noontime occasional series held during Fall and Spring semesters and hosted by the College of Arts and Sciences, department of Fine and Performing Arts. The next Music on the Menu is scheduled on Wednesday, March 27, and will feature Dr. Mary Grace Galvan Carroll in a Ragtime Piano program.
For additional information, including a Calendar of Events for the Arts at TAMIU, visit https://www.tamiu.edu/coas/fpa
Recorded information is available at 956.325.2654.
For more, contact interim department chair of the Fine and Performing Arts, Dr. Colin Campbell at colin.campbell@tamiu.edu or call 956.326.3071.
