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Berklee College Of Music, Valencia Campus New Sounds of Ecuadorian Music A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Degree of Master of Music in Contemporary Performance Supervisor: Victor Mendoza By Fernando Antonio Cilio Porras Valencia, Spain July 2016

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Berklee College Of Music, Valencia Campus

New Sounds of Ecuadorian Music

A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Degree of

Master of Music in Contemporary Performance

Supervisor: Victor Mendoza

By

Fernando Antonio Cilio Porras

Valencia, Spain

July 2016

  ii  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………..iii

PREFACE……………………………………………………………………..iv

1. BACKGROUND

1.1 Personal background………………………………………………………...1

1.2 Social Background…………………………………………………………..1

1.2.1 Ecuadorian Music background………………………..…………..3

1.2.2 Contemporary Music background……………...………................3

2. MUSIC AND EVOLUTION

2.1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………4

2.2. Musical characteristics……………………………………………………...4

2.3. New Sound Of Ecuadorian Music

2. 3. 1 The Project “Signos Andinos”…………………………………...6

2. 3. 2 Shawarmito....................................................................................8

2. 3. 3 Ayahuasca………………………………………………………12

2. 3. 4 Espejismo……………………………………………………….15

2. 3. 5 Eterna Primavera………………………………………………..18

3. CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………..21

BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………..23

  iii  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I  want  to  deeply  thank  to  the  following  people  that  helped  

throughout  this  year  at  Berklee.

Casey Driessen, my program director that has always has supported me

and has done the best job ever as a teacher and a leader.

Victor Mendoza and Israel Sandoval, for their guidance throughout my

thesis and my development as a musician and as a person.

Victor Mendoza, Eleftherios Papadakis, Pancho Montañez, Rubén

Castaño, Judy Shin, Jackson Mann, David Minguillón, Taylor Wood, Raúl

Hernandez, Gustavo Hernandez, Austin Corley, Lili Atehortúa thank you for

contributing to my music, playing, editing, mixing, and mastering, for me it was

a pleasure to work and play with you. I have learned musicality and

professionalism from you that have made me a real artist.

To all my colleagues that walked with me in this fantastic journey, thank

you for your music, patience and your support you were as a family to me.

Antonio Cilio, Milton Arias, Daniel Mancero, Tadashi Maeda, Jay

Byron, Margarita Laso, Pablo Valarezo, without your music and your guidance

through life I wouldn’t be the person and musician that I am.

Finally to my parents, family and friends back in Ecuador, you were the

biggest inspiration and motivation to wake up every morning with the desire to

keep working and believing in my dreams.

My deep sincere thanks to all of you

Fernando Cilio

  iv  

PREFACE

This  is  the  first  time  that  I´ve  had  the  opportunity  to  study  outside  

my  country,  and  now  that  I  am  at  Berklee-­‐Valencia  I  am  living  a  new  life  

experience  that  is  helping  me  develop  as  an  artist  and,  most  importantly,  as  

a  person.  Travelling  outside  Ecuador  has  given  me  a  different  perspective  of  

music  and  this  time  I  am  re-­‐discovering  it  again.  Along  this  journey  

something  that  often  happens  to  me  is,  when  I  tell  people  that  I  am  from  

Ecuador,  most  of  them  don’t  know  much  about  my  country  and  how  

wonderful  it  is  in  all  its  aspects.  When  that  happens  the  only  thing  I  could  

think  about  is  how  to  show  them  the  unique  culture,  art,  history  and  music  

of  Ecuador.    

This  is  one  of  the  reasons  why  I  decided  to  start  a  musical  project  

that  combines  my  knowledge  and  skills  in  Ecuadorian  and  contemporary  

music  to  share  a  little  part  of  my  country  and  of  course  to  set  a  new  level  of  

Ecuadorian  music.    

Since  I  started  this  journey  “New  Sounds  of  Ecuadorian  Music”  came  

to  my  mind  and  I  thought  it  was  the  perfect  idea  for  me  to  show  Ecuador´s  

culture  to  the  world  and  show  that  Ecuadorian  music  can  be  part  of  the  new  

musical  trends.  From  my  point  of  view  a  new  genre  or  style  of  music  arises  

from  the  creative  fusion  of  other  styles,  for  instance  “Latin  jazz”  was  

developed  by  the  fusion  of  jazz  and  the  Afro  Cuban  music.  All  the  new  

contemporary  genres  have  been  born  from  the  mix  of  different  ideas  and  

styles  of  music.  Therefore  I’m  creating  new  music  and  exposing  new  ideas  

with  the  purpose  of  creating  a  new  tendency  and  probably  a  new  genre  that  

  v  

can  emerge  from  Ecuadorian  and  contemporary  music.  An  example  to  

explain  this  concept  is  one  of  my  tunes  “Shawarmito”  that  combines  the  

traditional  elements  of  “Sanjuanito”  (a  traditional  Ecuadorian  rhythm)  with  

contemporary  musical  elements  like  the  improvisation  of  jazz.    

To  accomplish  this  objective  I´ve  decided  to  continue  my  musical  

project  “SIGNOS  ANDINOS”.  I've  been  working  and  developing  this  idea  for  

many  years  and  now  it´s  becoming  a  real  project  with  its  own  identity  and  

concept.  “Signos  Andinos”  has  helped  me  see  myself  as  a  musician  willing  to  

do  something  innovative  with  the  music  of  my  country.  

I  think  there  is  a  need  to  do  this  project  because  it  will  increase  and  

reinforce  the  musical  culture  inside  and  outside  Ecuador.  All  the  people  of  

Ecuador  and  specially  the  artists  and  music  students  will  be  benefit;  the  

culture  will  increase  and  thus  our  self-­‐esteem  as  a  culture  and  a  country.  

I  see  myself  as  a  connection  between  the  new  and  the  old  “Ecuador”  and  I  

am  trying  to  preserve  Ecuadorian  music  while  taking  it  to  a  new  level.

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1. BACKGROUND

1.1 Personal background

I  was  born  in  Ecuador  on  May  10th  of  1989  and  I  have  lived  my  

whole  life  in  Quito.  I  feel  very  fortunate  to  have  been  born  in  a  country  with  

a  huge  cultural  diversity  and  ethnic  richness  that  goes  hand  in  hand  with  a  

strong  musical  and  artistic  tradition.  I  came  from  a  family  of  musicians  and  I  

am  very  proud  to  be  the  third  generation.  I  grew  up  in  an  environment  

where  music  was  something  common.  My  dad  used  to  take  me  to  all  of  his  

rehearsals  and  concerts  and  I  loved  to  see  the  interactions  of  the  musicians  

and  how  they  made  music  happen.  I  remember  that  all  of  them  used  to  play  

Ecuadorian  music  and  for  me  at  that  moment  that  was  “the”  only  music.  

After  years  I  decided  to  be  a  professional  musician  and  at  the  age  of  17  I  

went  to  a  music  school.  It  was  there  where  I  found  a  whole  new  universe  of  

sounds  and  music.  I  was  really  deep  into  contemporary  popular  music  and  I  

start  to  develop  a  vocation  as  an  artist.  This  is  how  I  slowly  came  up  with  

the  idea  of  combining  Ecuadorian  and  contemporary  music.  

1.2 Social Background

1.2.1 Ecuadorian Music background

Ecuador  is  a  country  with  an  enormous  cultural  richness  and  home  

of  several  nationalities  and  ethnic  groups,  and  it  was  created  after  the  

intervention  of  several  cultural  roots,  such  as  European,  Indian  and  African.  

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Due  to  these  reasons  we  have  a  multicultural  country,  with  several  

elements  that  are  recognized  and  adopted  as  our  symbols  and  emblems.    

Ecuadorian  music  has  a  diverse  and  unique  heritage  and  that´s  why  I  tried  

to  classify  it  into  three  groups:  Indigenous  music,  Afro-­‐Ecuadorian  music  

and  Mestizo-­‐European  music.  Each  one  of  these  groups  has  important  

elements  that  I  have  choosen  to  develop  my  compositions.  

I  fell  in  love  with  the  music  of  my  country,  the  passion  with  which  it  is  

interpreted,  and  the  diversity  that  it  has;  from  the  Andes  to  the  Coasts,    it  

has  captured  my  soul.  

I  learned  to  play  music  by  the  oral  tradition;  sometimes  in  

gatherings  and  reunions  we  used  to  play  folkloric  songs  with  my  father  and  

grandfather  where  all  the  people  were  dancing  and  singing.  In  the  

professional  aspect  I  was  part  of  Margarita  Laso´s  ensemble,  a  famous  

group  that  plays  traditional  Ecuadorian  and  Latin-­‐Americans  music.  

Through  the  “Guitar”,  Ecuadorian  Bandolin  and  Tiple  I  learned  how  to  

interpretive  a  lots  of  Ecuadorian  rhythms  like  “Pasillos”,  “Bombas”,  

“Albazos”,  “Arrullos”,  “Sanjuanitos”,  “Danzantes”,  “Yaravíes”,  “Alzas”,  

“Andareles”  etc.  

While  I  was  adopting  this  music  in  my  vocabulary  I  came  up  with  the  

idea  of  creating  my  own  Ecuadorian  pieces  with  a  specific  target    that  was  

to  create  a  link  between  the  traditional  and  the  new  contemporary  music.  

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1.2.2 Contemporary music background

After  4  years  of  studying  contemporary  music  at  the  “Universidad  

San  Francisco  de  Quito”,  I  had  experienced  many  styles  like  rock,  funk,  pop,  

blues,  and  jazz  that  had  helped  me  develop  a  different  perspective  about  

music  and  what  I  wanted  to  do  with  it.  There  were  two  genres  in  particular  

that  caught  my  attention:  jazz  and  blues.  The  complexity,  variety  and  

smoothness  of  jazz  made  me  realize  how  far  I  can  expand  my  limits  as  a  

musician,  all  that  language  that  took  decades  to  emerge  captivated  me.  

Along  with  blues,  it  was  like  an  arrow  to  my  heart,  the  melancholy  

and  passion  with  which  it  is  interpreted  and  how  it  uses  the  “guitar”  

to  improvise  changed  my  life  forever.  

The  ability  to  translate  those  emotions  through  music  is  something  

unique  that  these  genres  taught  me.  Something  that  both  have  in  common  is  

the  freedom  of  improvisation;  a  fascinating  form  of  art  that  is  and  will  be  a  

challenge  for  me.  I  feel  that  I  can  define  my  life  as  improvisation,  because  

you  never  know  what  will  happen  but  nevertheless  you  must  be  prepared  

and  ready  to  play.    

The  combination  of  all  these  elements  and  ideas  made  me  

understand  which  is  my  role  in  music,  I  realized  that  my  goal  is  to  create  a  

project  with  my  own  sound  mixing  the  two  things  that  were  part  of  my  life:  

Ecuadorian  and  contemporary  music.  

  4  

2. MUSIC AND EVOLUTION

2.1. Introduction

In  this  section  I  am  going  to  explain  the  process  of  creation  and  

evolution  of  my  music,  and  how  Ecuadorian,  jazz,  and  contemporary  music  

have  influenced  my  project.  

One  of  the  reasons  why  I  became  a  musician  was  because  I  like  to  

share  my  passions  and  emotions  through  art  and  basically  I  started  

composing  because  I  wanted  listen  to  music  that  I  had  never  heard  before.  I  

wanted  to  listen  to  new  fresh  Ecuadorian  music  with  modern  rhythms  and  

melodies.  This  fusion  helps  me  understand  who  I  am  and  what  my  sound,  is,  

which  is  an  endless  but  fantastic  journey  that  I  am  still  working  on.  

2.2. Musical characteristics

As  I  mentioned  previously  Ecuador  is  a  country  with  a  richness  of  

styles  and  genres  that  goes  from  Afro-­‐Ecuadorian,  to  Andean  and  "Mestizo"  

music.  Reading  books  about  Ecuadorian  music  like  Enciclopedia  de  la  

música  Ecuatoriana,  as  well  as  listening  and  transcribing  old  recordings  had  

helped  me  understand  more  about  the  elements  of  the  traditional  music  

like  the  metric,  instrumentation  and  ways  of  interpretation,  which  have  

helped  me  create  my  tunes.    

These  are  important  elements,  which  I  took  as  a  reference  to  

compose  my  music,  and  they  are  elements  that  reflect  the  tradition  of  

Ecuador  and  the  contemporary  music  that  I  am  related  them  to.  

  5  

Traditional  genres  like  Bomba  and  Albazo  based  on  ternary  

subdivisions  are  powerful  and  energetic  rhythms  that  I  used  as  references  

to  create  tunes  like  "Eternal  Primavera"  and  "Ayahuasca".  Sanjuanito,  which  

is  another  traditional  genre,  is  based  on  binary  subdivision,  it  is  a  happy  

and  groovy  genre  and  it  inspired  me  to  do  "Shawarmito”.  And  last  but  not  

least,  the  “Pasillo”  is  a  genre  that  is  our  symbol  of  an  Ecuadorian  ballad  or  

waltz,  it  is  a  soft  and  peaceful  genre  that  inspired  me  to  do  “Espejismo”.  

Ecuadorian  music  is  represented  with  distinguished  melodies,  

sometimes  joyful  and  sometimes  melancholic,  as  Alexander  Bon  Humboldt  

said:  "Ecuadorians  are  strange  and  unique  Beings:  they  sleep  peacefully  

surrounded  by  roaring  volcanoes,  they  live  poor  among  unparalleled  riches  

and  they  become  happy  listening  to  sad  music"1.    

These  emotions  became  a  big  part  of  our  culture;  lyricist  began  to  

write  lyrics  of  despair  and  heartbreak  that  were  accompanied  

by  melancholy  melodies.  These  kind  of  sounds  can  be  heard  in  the  “Pasillos”  

Albazos,  Yaravíes,  etc.  

Our  melodies  express  a  lot  of  emotions  but  one  that  caught  my  

attention  is  the  nostalgia,  probably  because  being  away  from  home  inspired  

me  to  create  music  thinking  about  my  country  and  my  people.    

Another  feature  is  the  repetition  of  melodic  phrases  often  in  a  pentatonic  

and  minor  key,  that  most  of  the  times  modules  to  a  major  in  different  

sections  of  the  tune.  For  example  in  Sanjuanitos,  the  pentatonic  motif  is  

repeated  in  each  section  of  the  song  and  its  development  is  changing  with  

                                                                                                               1  Gulliver  Expeditions.  “Humboldt:  Ecuadorians  are  strange  and  unique  beings…”  Gulliver  Ecuador    

  6  

the  interaction  of  other  instruments.  In  my  compositions  I  have  tried  to  

keep  this  simple  but  beautiful  character  of  the  melodies  that  give  the  taste  

of  Ecuador.

2.3. New Sounds Of Ecuadorian Music

2.3.1 The Project “Signos Andinos”

My  project  “SIGNOS  ANDINOS”  is  a  proposal  that  mixes  Ecuadorian  and  

contemporary  jazz  music.  This  project  has  a  unique  sound  that  mixes  

elements  from  different  stylistic  streams,  striving  to  create  an  innovative  

“band”  sound  in  South  American  contemporary  music.  

The  repertoire  is  composed  of  a  variety  and  richness  of  rhythms,  ranging  

from  indigenous  and  Afro-­‐Ecuadorian  genres  from  Ecuador  like  Raymi,  

SanJuanito,  Bomba,  Pasillo,  Andarele,  etc.  to  the  language  and  improvisation  

of  Jazz.      

My  compositions  are  based  on  an  idea  or  an  impression  usually  

related  to  Ecuador.  For  instance  I  have  “Oso  de  Anteojos”,  “Eterna  

Primavera”,  “Ayahuasca”,  that  are  related  to  the  nature  of  Ecuador.  

Musically  speaking  my  compositions  are  born  with  a  melodic  idea  followed  

by  rhythmic  base,  for  example  my  tune  “Ayahuasca”  was  conceived  from  a  

melody  in  my  head  and  a  traditional  percussive  pattern  of  6/8,  then  I  added  

the  harmony  and  all  the  musical  details.  I  think  that  developing  a  simple  

idea  with  certain  maturity  and  creativity  and  then  adding  each  of  the  

elements  has  helped  me  achieve  a  successful  fusion.  

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This  year  I  have  been  working  on  a  new  EP  along  with  three  

performance  videos  of  my  project  that  are  going  to  be  released  on  fall  of  

this  year.  By  this  date  I  wanted  to  show  an  evolution  of  my  project  keeping  

the  essence  of  it.  In  this  new  phase  of  the  project  I  have  created  four  new  

tunes  that  shows  more  variety,  like  the  addition  of  new  instruments  such  as  

the  inuk  and  the  harmonica.  This  time,  at  Berklee  Valencia,  I´ve  had  the  

privilege  of  working  with  musicians  from  all  over  world  that  contributed  to  

the  project  while  they  learned  from  my  music.  I  recorded  and  worked  with  

people  from  Colombia,  Greece,  Korea,  USA,  Venezuela,  Puerto  Rico,  México,  

Spain,  that  gave  a  new  color  to  my  ensemble.      

In  this  next  section  I  am  going  to  explain  my  tunes;  which  is  the  

relationship  with  the  Ecuadorian  and  contemporary  music  and  how  my  

experience  from  the  composition  process  to  the  rehearsals,  the  shows  and  

the  recordings  was.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  8  

2. 3. 1 “Shawarmito”

Shawarmito  is  a  fusion  piece  that  mixes  a  traditional  rhythm  of  

Ecuador  called  Sanjuanito.  This  rhythm  comes  from  the  northern  part  of  

Ecuador  specifically  in  the  province  of  Imbabura  and  was  played  by  the  

indigenous  inhabitants  hundreds  of  years  ago.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

Sanjuanito  is  traditionally  played  by  acoustic  guitars,  percussion  and  

melodic  instruments  like  pan  flutes,  violin  and  “Rondador”  (a  native  

instrument  of  Ecuador  similar  to  pan  flutes).  This  genre  has  a  specific  way  

of  interpretation  and  one  characteristic  is  the  base  rhythm  in  which  is  

builded.  

 

Figure  1.  Ecuador  map,  Imbabura  Province  https://www.google.es/maps/place/Imbabura,+Ecuador/@0.4925271,-­‐79.0910601,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x8e2a3ca1785b375d:0xf7db73d8e67a536b!8m2!3d0.367159!4d-­‐78.3842227  

  9  

  In  the  next  figure  we  have  the  base  rhythms  and  its  variations.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This  style  comes  from  popular  dances,  it  was  music  for  

entertainment  and  for  that  reason  it  keeps  a  symmetric  and  repetitive  

pattern  that  is  usually  repeated  every  2,  4  or  8  measures  or  phrases.    For  

the  melody  this  style  generally  uses  the  pentatonic  scales  and  minor  

arpeggios.  Some  examples  can  be  like  this:  

 

   

 

 

Figure  2  Guerrero  Gutiérrez,  Pablo.    Enciclopedia  de  la  música  Ecuatoriana.  Sanjuanito  (Quito:  Corporación  Musicólogica  Ecuatoriana  Conmúsica  :  Archivo  Sonoro  de  la  Música  Ecuatoriana,  2002),  1278.      

Figure  3  Guerrero  Guitierrez.  1280.  

 

  10  

It  has  a  binary  structure  and  uses  the  2/4  time  signatures.    Generally  

it  is  based  on  minor  harmony  but  its  common  that  on  the  second  half  the  

tune  modulates  to  major.    

Some  of  these  elements  are  present  in  “Shawarmito”.  It  is  composed  

in  a  2/4  time  signature,  based  in  minor  harmony  and  some  parts  of  the  tune  

are  composed  with  pentatonic  minor  scales.  The  form  Intro-­‐  A-­‐  B-­‐  A-­‐  C-­‐  D-­‐  

Solos-­‐  A-­‐  B-­‐  Outro,  and  in  the  C  part  I  am  using  this  common  resource  that  is  

the  modulation  to  a  major  key.  Other  traditional  characteristic  that  I´m  

using  are  the  introduction  and  the  ending,  generally  the  intro  starts  with  a  

riff  played  by  a  string  instrument,  in  this  case  the  electric  guitar.  And  the  

ending  finishes  with  a  usual  cadence  V-­‐I  that  is  commonly  used  in  

Ecuadorian  music.    The  modern  elements  that  I  wanted  to  include  are  a  

bass  line  and  a  drum  pattern  with  a  groove  pattern  based  on  funk  and  

fusion  style  (see  figure  4).    

 

 

 

 

 

Figure  3  Excerpt  of    “Shawarmito”.  groove  pattern  

  11  

I  also  wanted  to  adapt  a  melody  and  the  harmony  based  in  the  harmonic  

scale  and  of  course  with  pentatonic  patterns.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The  improvisation  part  played  by  the  bassist  brings  a  new  

Mediterranean  color  due  to  the  scales  that  he  is  using  and  it  was  exactly  my  

idea  for  the  tune.  In  my  improvisation  I´m  using  jazz  and  blues  patterns  

mixed  with  pentatonic  and  melodic  scales.    For  this  reason  the  name  of  the  

tune  is  called  “Shawarmito”  it  is  an  invented  name  that  is  a  mixture  

between  Shawarma  (type  of  Arabian  food)  and  Sanjuanito.      

Figure  4  Excerpt  of    “Shawarmito”.  Use  of  pentatonic  and  harmonic  scales  

  12  

2. 3. 2 “Ayahuasca”

For  this  composition  I  was  inspired  in  the  folkloric  Ecuadorian  style  named  

Albazo;  a  beautiful  rhythm  played  by  the  indigenous  and  “mestizos”  of  

Ecuador.    

When  I  composed  this  tune  I  was  reading  about  the  popular  brewage  

ayahuasca  made  by  the  shamans  of  the  Ecuadorian  Amazon  and  the  esoteric  

trip  that  they  do.  I  wanted  to  do  a  piece  that  represents  that  mystical,  

emotional  and  energetic  journey  and  that´s  how  this  idea  became  a  tune.  

Usually  Albazo  is  played  in  the  festivities  and  it  is  used  in  dances  and  

celebrations  that  last  all  night  long  until  the  sun  rises.  That´s  why  it  is  called  

Albazo,  “  The  Spanish  word  used  for  this  rhythm  must  come  from  “Alba”  

that  means  sunrise”.  2  

Albazo,  as  well  as  Sanjuanito,  is  played  by  traditionally  played  by  

acoustic  guitars,  percussion  and  melodic  instruments  like  pan  flutes.  

Albazo  is  known  by  the  time  signature  of  6/8  and  most  of  the  time  in  allegro  

tempo.  The  basic  rhythm  is  composed  by  this  two  “claves”  or  established  

patterns:  

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                               2  Guerrero  Gutiérrez.  107

 

Figure  5  Guerrero  Gutiérrez.  112.  

  13  

 

 

 

For  my  composition  I  used  the  base  pattern  to  develop  a  bass  and  drums  

line  to  create  a  contemporary  pattern  (see  figure  8),  when  my  colleagues  and  I  

were  in  the  rehearsals  we  worked  as  a  team  to  develop  a  “lock”  groove  for  the  

song.  

 

I  was  inspired  in  contemporary  Ecuadorian  artists  like  Daniel  Mancero  and  

Pies  en  la  Tierra  as  well  in  contemporary  Jazz  artist  like  Brad  Melhdau,  Avishai  

Cohen,  Kurt  Rossenwinkel  etc.  Their  treatment  of  harmony  and  the  rhythm  and  

melodic  embellishment  caught  my  attention  and  made  me  want  to  do  something  

similar  in  my  music.    

 

 

Figure  6  Guerrero  Gutiérrez.112.  

Figure  7  Exerpt  of  “Ayahuasca”    groove  pattern  

 

  14  

 

 

The  guitar  is  the  main  instrument  that  leads  the  melodies  and  the  harmony  

and  the  piano  is  supporting  the  harmony  with  tensions  (see  figure  9)  as  well  as  

doubling  some  bass  and  guitar,  reflecting  a  contemporary  jazz  sound  (see  figure  

10).    

 

One  characteristic  of  “Ayahuasca”  is  the  dynamisms  of  the  patterns  in  6/8.  

To  give  even  more  motion  and  special  effects  I  added  congas  and  minor  

percussion.    Finally  the  form  of  this  tune  (Intro-­‐A-­‐B-­‐C-­‐D-­‐Solos-­‐E-­‐F-­‐C-­‐D-­‐F-­‐Outro)  

has  lots  of  parts  that  are  related  to  each  other.  For  all  this  combinations  of  

elements,  this  tune  can  be  considered  a  contemporary  Ecuadorian  piece.  

 

 

 

 

 

Figure  8  Exerpt  of  “Ayahuasca”  Use  of  contemporary  harmony  

Figure  9  Exerpt  of  “Ayahuasca”    Doubling  bass  lines  

  15  

 

2. 3. 3 “Espejismo”

“This  contradictory  music  is  agitated  and  joyful  as  well  as  

melancholic3”.    Pasillo  is  one  of  my  favorites  rhythms  of  Ecuador  because  is  

a  genre  that  contains  a  lot  of  emotions  and  feelings  (love,  pain,  affection,  

deception).  It  is  also  one  the  most  popular  styles  in  Ecuador  because  of  the  

lyrics  and  the  nostalgic  music  that  creates.  If  I  can  make  a  comparison  with  

another  rhythms  of  the  world  I  could  say  that  Pasillo  is  like  “Fado”  of  

Portugal,  “Tango”  of  Argentina  or  waltz  of  Europe,  and  for  me  these  genres  

have  one  characteristic  in  common  which  is  that  we  love  to  dance  the  music  

no  matter  how  melancholic  or  sad  they  are.    

Pasillos  are  traditionally  played  by  acoustic  guitars,  voice,  and  

melodic  instrument  like  guitar,  requinto,  violin,  flute  etc.  Its  time  signature  

is  3/4  and  the  music  is  followed  by  dances  like  the  “Waltz”.  The  common  

form  of  “Pasillo”  is  A-­‐B-­‐A  usually  the  A  part  is  in  minor  and  The  B  part  in  

Major.  “Pasillos”  have  several  patterns  to  comping  that  are:  

 

 

 

                                                                                                               3  Guerrero  Gutiérrez  Pablo.  1090

 

  16  

 

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Espejismo”  (translated  in  English  “Mirage”)  is  the  3rd  tune  that  I  composed  

since  I  came  here  to  Valencia.  My  impression  for  this  tune  is  that  “nothing  is  what  it  

seems”  and  I  try  to  converge  that  idea  into  music.  For  this  composition  I  used  two  

tonalities  to  reflect  the  idea  of  a  mirage.  It  starts  with  a  sad  and  nostalgic  melody  

that  suddenly  modulates  to  a  major  tonality  and  transforms  in  a  melody  of  hope  

and  optimism.      

It  was  a  fantastic  experience  to  play  this  tune  with  my  colleagues,  because  

they  never  heard  this  rhythm  before,  but  they  captured  the  idea  really  fast  after  a  

few  traditional  songs  that  I  played  for  them.  The  bass  is  playing  some  the  patterns  

showed  in  the  previous  chart  and  is  basically  maintaining  the  roots  of  “Pasillo”.  For  

Figure  10  Guerrero  Gutiérrez.  1091.  

  17  

the  melody  my  main  idea  was  to  create  a  dialogue  using  counterpoint  between  the  

harmonica  and  the  vibes  (see  figure  12),  instruments  that  I  had  never  had  the  

pleasure  to  work  with.    

 

Another  feature  in  this  composition  is  the  “Inuk”  a  mix  between  the  guitar  

and  the  “Oud”.  I  decided  to  use  this  peculiar  instrument  because  it  reminds  me  to  

the  sound  of  the  Ecuadorian  Bandolin  and  with  the  acoustic  guitar  it  creates  an  

attractive  and  delicate  sound.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure  11  Excerpt  of    “Espejismo”.  Counterpoint  between  vibes  and  harmonica  

  18  

2. 3. 4 “Eterna Primavera”

“Eterna  Primavera”  that  means  “Endless  Spring”  is  a  piece  that  I  created  

thinking  about  my  home  Ecuador.  I  composed  it  because  in  Ecuador  we  

don´t  have  the  seasons  so  for  us  is  always  spring.  Musically  speaking  this  is  

based  in  a  Bomba  rhythm,  from  the  Afro  Ecuadorian  heritage.    This  rhythm  

is  traditionally  played  by:  Bomba  (bass  drum  made  by  the  “penco”  kind  of  

cactus  that  grows  on  the  valleys  of  Ecuador),  acoustic  guitars,  guasá  

(percussive  instrument  like  the  shaker)  and  voice.    This  style  is  also  

followed  by  colorful  dances  in  a  ritual  between  the  man  and  the  woman  

trying  to  court  each  other.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It  has  a  base  rhythm  very  similar  to  “Albazo”  and  its  music  is  written  in  6/8.  

“Bomba  presents  the  unification  of  indigenous,  European  and  black  components  of  

the  musical  constitution:  melody  (pentatonic  of  the  black  and  indigenous  people);  

Form  (verse-­‐chorus-­‐verse);  and  rhythm  and  timbre  that  represents  the  black  

part.”4  

                                                                                                               4  Guerrero  Gutiérrez,  Pablo  .  331.  

Figure  12  Chota  dancers.  Photography  by  Cesar  Pasaca  

  19  

Usually  Bomba  pattern  is  based  on  this  rhythm,  that  is  basically  5  

eights  notes  with  the  accent  in  the  fifth  eight  note:  

 

 

 

 

 

 

The  drums  and  the  congas  leads  the  rhythm  parts  with  a  variation  of  

the  traditional  pattern  (see  figure  14).  

 

The  vibraphone  and  the  guitar  lead  the  melodies  and  rhythmic  

development.  The  piano  and  the  bass  support  the  harmony  and  the  comping.  This  

time  I  didn’t  want  add  a  complex  harmony,  but  it´s  still  contemporary  since  I´m  

using  the  concept  of  modal  harmony.  The  guitar  and  piano  solo  represent  the  

virtuosity  of  the  instrumentalist  but  still  demonstrate  a  melodic  and  rhythmic  

development.  This  was  my  idea  of  how  I  think  the  spring  would  sound;  elegant  and  

beautiful  but  full  of  strength.  This  piece  gave  also  an  unforgettable  experience  

because  I  had  to  teach  the  musicians  how  to  play  “Bomba”,  and  sometimes  I  had  to  

Figure  13  Guerrero  Gutiérrez.  334  

Figure  14  Excerpt  of    “Eterna  primavera”.  Drum  and  conga  pattern  

  20  

play  the  congas  to  show  them  the  “groove”,  and  I  think  it  was  an  enriching  

experience  for  both  sides.  

Finally  the  form  of  the  tune  is  Intro-­‐A-­‐B-­‐C-­‐D-­‐Solos-­‐A-­‐B-­‐C.    

  21  

3. CONCLUSION

This year in Berklee was fantastic, without doubts one of the best of my

life; I had the opportunity to travel to many places and met people from different

countries that have contributed in my life experience.

Berklee contributed me with professional music skills and a unique

experience that I never thought I could have. This year I played in a lot of

projects in different formats, with different instruments, and styles of music. I

played genders like rock, funk, jazz, R&B, blues, reggae, flamenco,

Mediterranean music, Latin-American music, and played with top amazing

musicians in the city. Another aspect that helps me to develop my music was to

learn how the production area works, I learned how to manage the software and

hardware in the studios and most important I learned how to be specific in every

little detail to guarantee the best quality in my music.

Working with people all over the world opened my mind and helped me

set up a new level of skills as a leader, a musician and a professional. Playing

my music with my colleagues, teachers and musicians in Valencia was the most

amazing experience I could ever had. Having comments like “ I had never heard

that before” or “your music is so innovative” help me understand that I´m on the

right track in combining traditional and contemporary sounds.

I met a lot of people from around the world that taught me their

background in music and culture. For me that the biggest gift that someone can

give, as having a musical identity as an artist is the most important thing, and

part of your identity is your heritage. The way you combine these elements with

new knowledge can give you the capacity of creating a new style.

  22  

This year was crucial for me because I learned who I am as an artist and

as person. For me playing, composing and producing my own music helped me

to understand where am I and which are my roots. Being one year away from

home let me realize how important my culture and my art are.

This is the culmination of an era in my life but another one is about to

start. I´m glad and excited to come back to Ecuador with more skills and more

material in my hands, now I´m motivated more than ever to  continue  with  my  

project  and  my  goal  to  spread  the  concept  of  “New  Ecuadorian  Sounds”  

through  Ecuador  and  the  entire  world.

My  objective  is  to  entertain  people  with  my  music;  make  them  enjoy  

using  Ecuadorian  rhythms.  I  consider  myself  as  an  influence  and  inspiration  

for  the  new  generations  of  musicians  in  my  country  and  therefore  for  the  

audience.  

I believe that music helps us define ourselves and become better people

that´s why it  has  been  for  me  a  way  to  understand  this  complex  and  difficult  

path  that  is  the  life.

 

     

Gracias  a  la  vida,  gracias  a  la  música              

  23  

Bibliography

Guerrero  Gutiérrez,  Pablo.  Enciclopedia  de  la  música  Ecuatoriana.  Sanjuanito.  Quito:  Corporación  Musicólogica  Ecuatoriana  Conmúsica  :  Archivo  Sonoro  de  la  Música  Ecuatoriana,  2002.      

Gulliver  Expeditions.  “Humboldt:  Ecuadorians  are  strange  and  unique  beings…”  Gulliver  Ecuador  &  Galapagos  Tours  October  16  2015  

 Mullo  Juan.  “Musica  Patrimonial  del  Ecuador”    Fondo  Editorial    Ministerio  

de  Cultura  Quito  2009.  http://www.flacsoandes.edu.ec/biblio/catalog/resGet.php?resId=52868  

 Ortega  Bryan.  “Historia  de  la  Música  en  Ecuador”  Noviembre  2012  

http://historiadelamusicaecuatoriana.blogspot.com.es/    

Audio Cds

García Jhonny. Música e instrumentos tradicionales del Ecuador Vol1. 2011. By Amauta Estudio Quito Ecuador.

Laso Margarita. Corazoncito. 2009 by Gallito Verde Producciones. Quito- Ecuador

Laso Margarita. El Canelazo. 2006 by Gallito Verde Producciones. Quito- Ecuador

Mancero Daniel. Yangana. 2011by Daniel Mancero. Quito- Ecuador

Valarezo Pablo. Madera Dulce. 2010 by Gallito Verde Producciones. Quito- Ecuador

Youtube Links

Amor  Peregrino  (Alex  Alvear)  interpretado  por  Pablo  Valarezo  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khJa6-­‐KhH_0  

 Chota  Valle  de  Mil  Colores  (MIlton  Arias)  -­‐  Concierto  Re..volviendo,  30  años  

del  Grupo  Illiniza    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHtgBYpCub4  

 Mi  Tierrita  (Alcibiades  Cilio)  interpretado  por  Just  Desserts  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otlXVfKfi8o    

Sabor  a  Miel  (Beatriz  Congo)  interpretado  por  Margarita  Laso  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS5jtfRXlEc