PETRONA MARTÍNEZ: AUTHENTICITY AND RHYTHM

M. Claudia Nieto

mcnietoc@unal.edu.co

Publicado en Capital Letter No. 3

Mayo de 2003

The name may ring a bell to some. Well, she is a Colombian bullerengue singer who was recently nominated for a Latin Grammy Award under the category of "Best Folk Album" together with Totó la Momposina. Petrona is a 'bullerengue  cantaora' born in San Cayetano, Bolívar, 64 years ago. She learned her craft from her grandmother and aunt who spent their time tuning melodies while doing housework. 

The Bullerengue is a female tradition from the Caribbean coast of Colombia. It is improvised singing accompanied by claps and play drums. Its lyrics deal basically with episodes of the daily life of common people from the town, like the one that narrates the "Dolor de Barriga de Ramón Pío" . Petrona has a vibrant and colorful voice and an innate passion for rhythm. Her songs are original compositions that contain part of her life. She sings to the new-born as well as to the one who has just died. She also dedicates part of her compositions to the people who extract sand of the stream to be able to survive, activity that she herself performed once.

Although she has dedicated her life to music, she only became popular in 1999 when she was widely recognized as a 'cantante revelación'. She has recorded some LPs and recently released two CDs called 'La vida vale la pena' and 'Bonito que canta'. Her fame surmounts the boundaries of Colombia and her name is now familiar in countries like France, Spain, England, and Portugal thanks to the multiple personal shows offered there.

Petrona is an example of authenticity and rhythm. The only things she cares about are knowing and feeling. In her own words: "El bullerengue es la candela de mi garganta y la felicidad de mi cuerpo y de mi alma". That is why she sings like this: "Oye, mi amigo:/La vida vale la pena/ Coge la pala en la mano/ y vamos a sacar la arena/ Pa' ganarnos el arroz./ Oye mi amigo:/ La vida vale la pena".

Let's listen to Petrona and enjoy the magic of the bullerengue. We hope Petrona will continue performing and showing the world the roots of our Caribbean culture.