A social, recreational couple dance of Peru. It is directly related to the national dance of Chile (the cueca or chilena) and is named in honour of the seamen who died in the War of the Pacific against Chile, when as a result of Peru's defeat the dance had to be renamed to avoid its association with the ‘enemy’. It is descended from the zamacueca or zambacueca found in Bolivia, Peru and Chile.
Using the Décima form, its octosyllabic verse is set strophically, while its seguidilla refrains alternate 6/8, 3/4 metre (sesquiatera). Subject matter is diverse, and includes historical narrative and socio-political commentary. In urban areas it has largely been replaced in popularity by the vals criollo. Among the mestizo population of the Peruvian Andes marinera melodies are more obviously pentatonic than those of the Peruvian coast and are sung in high-pitched, nasal style. Its choreography is a courtship pantomime between man and woman, echoing the mating process of cock and hen in the farmyard. It has a fixed structure with a series of complex moves and footwork, both parties advancing and retreating with step footwork, circling each other, flirting with handkerchiefs held in the right hand, waved around shoulders. There are many regional variations and the relationship adopted by couples for the dance tends to indicate their marital or single status. The choreography is similar to that of the Colombian Bambuco.
The marinera limeña functions in two contexts, as a dance and also as a jarana. This takes the form of a contrapunto or desafío challenge between two or more singers improvising using the décima form, the ten lines divided into three verses (4 + 4 + 2). This is followed by the resbalosa and fuga, a quatrain in couplets, the competition continuing until one opponent wins by outwitting the other in verse. A popular tradition within oral Afro-Peruvian culture, there are various historic collections of texts.
WILLIAM GRADANTE/R