Sitting right in the middle of Central America, and sandwiched between hotbeds of musical innovation like Mexico, Colombia, and the Caribbean, it goes without saying that the streets of Costa Rica are always filled with great music. That is not to say that Costa Rica hasn’t made contributions of its own, however, and its indigenous folk traditions are both colorful and lively. Seemingly every village has its variation of native Costa Rica Music and Costa Rica Dances. Often accompanied by flamboyant dances, you can hear these in village squares across the nation.
Costa Rica has made its contributions to world music as well and it is part of Costa Rican culture. You can still hear its native folk music in villages across the country. This is often accompanied by traditional dances. This genre draws from many different origins to create the sound it has today. Indigenous people had been making music in the area for thousands of years and had developed their instruments and scales. When the Spanish arrived, they brought their musical traditions – and introduced several new instruments, while later immigrants from other European country’s also contributed to the mix. The final influence that helped develop the sound of Costa Rica music came from the African population, and this input affected the rhythms in particular.
You can see these different elements in the diverse selection of instruments used in the nation’s folk music. The ocarina, quijongo (a stringed instrument played with a bow). Also, a native version of the oboe all predate the arrival of the Spanish and are still used today. European instruments such as the guitar, the accordion, and even the violin are important factors in Costa Rica music, as are an array of brass instruments. African contributions include several types of drum and the marimba.
While Costa Rican folk music is broadly similar across the country, there are regional variations. The province of Guanacaste is one of the country’s musical hot spots. Much of its traditional songs were designed with dancing in mind. It relies on the interplay between trumpets and the marimba to create a lively, almost marching-band style sound. The Central Valley is noted for its ‘seranatos Campesinos. Perhaps the most Spanish-sounding type of Costa Rica music. They use guitars to create haunting songs lamenting the hard life of ordinary people.
A final musical genre which has a long history in Costa Rica is classical music. Although far removed from the orchestras of Europe. Costa Rica’s elite saw it as a way of connecting with the outside world. It allowed them to demonstrate their cultural sophistication. There are several orchestras and opera groups within the country. As well as a few grand theaters for them to play in.
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