Las Tres Marías (group)

Las Tres Marías were an Afro-Ecuadorian musical trio.[1]

History

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Las Tres Marías were made up of sisters Rosa, Gloria and María Magdalena Pavón, recognized for their ability to perform musical ensembles imitating the sounds of trumpets, drums and cornets.[2] They did it with both a cappella, or with elements of nature such as leaves, roots, fruits, trunks, hides and pumpkins, especially La Bomba.[3] This is how they traveled for more than 60 years in Ecuador making their audience dance to the traditional music of Chota Valley.[2]

The sisters were born in the community of Chalguayacu (El Juncal), located in Pimampiro-Imbabura, and came from a family of musicians. Their father, a member of the Banda Mocha, inherited their musical taste mainly from the bomba. The trio began singing at a festival in El Juncal and with the passage of time, they were combining this art with the daily activities they carry out for a living.[4] Rosita, Gloria and Magdalena Pavón - a midwife, farmer and healer - lived in an adobe house in the Chalguayacu neighborhood, Pimampiro Canton, Imbabura Province.[3]

María Magdalena Pavón died in Ibarra on 14 September 2018 at the age of 77.[5]

Awards and honors

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  • Las Tres Marías were recognized by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, as Living Heritage of Ecuador.[6]
  • The National Institute of Cultural Heritage (INPC) awarded them a recognition in the category Carriers of Knowledge, for contributing to the strengthening and safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ecuador.[4]
  • They are part of the Taitas y Mamas project that brings together icons of Ecuadorian music.[7]
  • Las Tres Marías received the ovation of the intercultural festival held in Cali, Colombia in 2009; they stated that "there were thousands of people who stood up and applauded us for more than five minutes".[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Las tres Marías". www.destinopimampiro.gob.ec. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Las Tres Marías, historia viva de los pueblos afro". El Universo (in Spanish). 3 October 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Este Viernes Homenaje a Las Tres Marías en El Juncal – Ministerio de Cultura y Patrimonio". www.culturaypatrimonio.gob.ec. Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  4. ^ a b Hora, Diario La. "Se apagó una de las voces de 'Las tres Marías' - La Hora". La Hora Noticias de Ecuador, sus provincias y el mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  5. ^ "Una de las integrantes del grupo vocal Las Tres Marías falleció en Ibarra". El Comercio. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  6. ^ "Falleció a los 77 años María Magdalena Pavón, una de las "Tres Marías"".
  7. ^ "La Historia de las 3 Marías".
  8. ^ "María M. Pavón deja un legado con su voz". Archived from the original on 23 October 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.