Surquillo (Flute Choir)

"Surquillo" is the perfect piece for your flute choir: a joyous dance with a great deal of Latin American flair, widely appealing and original at once.

Marinera Norteña is a Peruvian courtship dance that uses handkerchiefs as a means of expression. It consists of three parts: an introduction, where the two dancers invite each other to dance, a central courtship part, “paseo”, where they greet and get closer to each other, and a final and energetic part, “zapateo”, in which both dancers stomp their feet rhythmically on the ground, while challenging each other to continue their courtship. The dance is usually performed twice; the first time it ends in a very intimate pose, while the second time it ends with the woman in a triumphant pose and the man on his knees beside her, surrendering himself to her.

As a musical genre, the Marinera fuses several different influences present in Peruvian culture: on one side, Spanish influences can be heard in the harmony, the melodic ornaments, and the metric structure that alternates between 3/4 and 6/8. At the same time, the use of bimodality is characteristic of Andean music. The Marinera also reveals influence of African music, especially in the use of the cajón, an instrument of Afro-Peruvian origin, which always accompanies the sung Marinera.

"Surquillo" was written for Cecilia Pinto, young violinist and marinera dancer who is a good friend of the composer. Surquillo means “small groove”, and is the name of the Lima district where Cecilia lived for many years.

Duration: 3 minutes

Written for: Cecilia Pinto