Guam's Hispanic Dances (6)

Middle school girls perform a Spanish era dance to a Chamorro folk song. Coconut shells may have been used as a substitute for castanets. Coconuts shells are used in some Chamorro dances.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Guam
• Chamorro
• dance
• baile
• hispanic
• culture
• Marianas
• isla
• folclorico
• danza

[chono2008]

Todavia quedan guanamenos que hablan español?

[kuraku3]

hola. gracias por su comentario. de verdad, los ultimos guameños que hablan español se murieron en los 1970's. por la influencia "gringa" desde 1898, el español no han hablado aqui en la isla. solamente las personas, como yo, que estudian el idioma, pueden hablar. pero no hay muchas oportunidade para practicar por aqui. gracias al idioma Chamorro, que tiene muchas palabras españolas, aprender el español no es muy dificil. espero hablar mucho mejor algun dia en el futuro. me desea suerte

[ragarran]

Hi, I am Spanish and I visited your beautiful Island three years ago. For me it was shocking to see the influence of Spanish culture into the Guam (language, Plaza de España, etc...) but also sad because everything was so US style that I could not see what is the Chamorro culture. I visited the small museum (in a shopping mall) which I loved since it is the only place where you can learn something. General feeling: everything was deleted once US took over. Great you want to recover your roots!

[kuraku3]

thanks for the comment. it is true that the US tried to delete our culture when they arrived in 1898. and today the influence of globalization threatens what still remains. our roots are both native Chamorro and Spanish. we have indigenous roots and colonial roots too. it is refiected in this dance. some people may argue that the Spanish influence destroyed the Chamorro culture. but now the USA (culture?) is doing more to erase our tradtions.

[cham0rro]

Nice performance. But I wish the dresses were more colorful.

[kuraku3]

so true. maybe there was a sale on this drab color of fabric. typically, hispanic dances are more colorful than this one.

[SaltedWater1]

LOL COCONUT DANCE =)

[Xaviereduardoful]

@kuraku3 Hola.. te felicito, continua practicando el idioma. Ustedes tienen una hermosa cultura muy rica. Saludos. Javi. Desde Costa Rica.!!

[DirtyProgBeats]

@dmanibusan I'm sure this is a medley of different songs. I recognize the first one as Escamina originally by Johnny Sablan.

[mikhailthegrinch]

@kuraku3 Amen to that! The Philippine culture is also undergoing this process.

[dmanibusan]

What's the name of this song?

[chono2008]

Gracias kuraku por manener vivas las tradiciones de tu pueblo. Dios bendiga a la bella y vieja isla bonita de Guam!!!