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Mascando Ch​í​clete / Upside​-​down Varceliana (Varsoviana)

from Nuevas Acequias, Rio Viejo: traditional music of Northern New Mexico by Lone Piñon

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    With original, traditional New Mexican-style retablo cover art and contemporary sketches by Sean Wells. Includes a 10-page booklet with lyrics, portraits of the elders we've learned from, and information about the styles and genres that make up traditional instrumental Northern New Mexican music.

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about

The varsoviana dance originated around 1850 in Warsaw, Poland, and then spread across Europe and the Americas. It has long been a favorite in New Mexico, and for many it is emblematic of the old style of New Mexican dance music. When we perform it, we often see elders get up to dance, or hear stories from people who remember dancing it with their grandparents.

Although many people recognize the most popular Varsoviana melody (which is sometimes called “Mascando Chíclete” and with which we start our arrangement), the varsoviana was actually a genre that included a wide diversity of tunes that worked for the dance. It was common for dance musicians to know 6 or 7 different varsovianas. The tunes are 3/4 waltzes but combine elements of 6/8 phrasing, and may be the origin of the redova genre which replaced them in Texas and Northern Mexico. In addition to “Mascando Chíclete”, our arrangement includes a varsoviana sometimes called the Upside-Down Varsoviana, from the repertoire of Gregorio Ruiz. We learned the lyrics from Antonia Apodaca of Rociada, New Mexico, who learned them from her mother. As we’ve played around the state we’ve heard different lyrics from different regions (some of which we can’t sing on recordings that children may hear!).

lyrics

Con Madre Mónica, con Madre Mónica venga a bailar,
La Varcelianica, la Varcelianica van a tocar.
Mascando chíclete, mascando chíclete con vanidad,
Mascando chíclete, mascando chíclete, no sabe dar.

With Mother Monica, with Mother Monica, come dance,
They’re going to play La Varcelianica.
Chewing gum, chewing gum, with attitude,
Chewing gum, chewing gum, she won’t give you any.

¿Cómo lo bailan señores? ¿Cómo me enseñan a bailar?
Como lo bailan toditos, en el día de Carnival.

How do you dance it, señores? How will you show me to dance?
The way everybody dances, in the days before Lent.

credits

from Nuevas Acequias, Rio Viejo: traditional music of Northern New Mexico, released December 15, 2019

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Lone Piñon Albuquerque, New Mexico

Lone Piñon is an acoustic conjunto from New Mexico whose music celebrates the diversity and integrity of their region's cultural roots.

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