Musical Theatre

The murga genre is a vibrant and distinctive musical-theatrical phenomenon that is particularly prominent in Latin American countries and Spain. It is associated with celebration, satire, collective singing, and loud percussion. She is most often encountered during the carnival period and takes the form of a collective performance. Usually, there are more than a dozen participants. The origins of murga can be traced back to the Spanish tradition – specifically the Chirigota genre group in Cádiz, Spain, from where it arrived in the La Plata countries (Argentina and Uruguay) through immigration. In Uruguay, for example, the genre has been documented since the beginning of the 20th century and has become an integral part of the Uruguayan carnival. In Argentina, murga manifests as a genre of street parades and dance, closely associated with the Buenos Aires Carnival. Speaking about the musical style of murga, it's worth noting the typical group composition and instrumentation: in the Uruguayan version, there are approximately 17 members (13 singers, a musical director, and three percussionists: a bass drum (bombo), a snare drum (redoblante), and cymbals (platillos)). The vocal style includes an emphasis on choral unison singing, polyphony of up to five voices, with a nasal, loud timbre. Murga often structures their performances as a single show – with a greeting (saludo), dances, and a final number (retirada). Her musical and dramatic parts are connected both scenically and thematically. The recognition of the murga is more cultural than through global charts. Additionally, murga was a form of popular opposition: in the 1970s, Uruguayan groups used it as a means of social criticism during the dictatorship. This increased its significance as a cultural phenomenon for national identity. In Argentina, the genre goes beyond just a musical concert and sometimes becomes a parade and a mass theatrical performance.