Hello, friends. Today is Tuesday and as we are already used to: on Tuesdays we have music on HIVE.
About Christmas and a post made by my friend @tengolotodo, it occurred to me to make this post that talks about my name, but also about Christmas and one of the Venezuelan singers that is heard during this Christmas season: Nancy Ramos.
I was born on December 20th and according to my parents my name is in honor of this Venezuelan singer, known for being a very decembrine image. Nancy Ramos, or the golden doll, was a symbol of the Venezuelan Christmas of the last century, her voice was not only heard in homes, but also in schools, where at the end of the year, on this date, parrandones and aguinaldos masses were held.
In this opportunity I would like to share with you the three songs of Nancy Ramos, also those common experiences of Venezuelans at this time, because Nancy is not only music, it is also part of the culture and traditions of a people:
I owe the name Nancy to my father, a party man, a musician, who played the cuatro, a Venezuelan musical instrument, and who liked to go out partying with his friends. The parranda is a Venezuelan way of partying, where people drink, sing, dance and laugh for no reason. At Christmas time it is normal for Venezuelans to go out partying.
One of our Christmas traditions was to go out to the streets to sing Christmas carols, aguinaldos and gaitas. Going from house to house, playing the instruments, trying to spread the Christmas spirit to the people. The house owners would open the doors and accompany the musicians to sing, they would also take out a bottle of liquor and toast with those present, and then they would share the typical food of the season: hallacas, salads, sweets.
The song above talks about just that: “Tun, tun”, they say as if they were knocking on the door and someone asks: “Who is it?” and all the musicians sing: “People of peace, open the door for us, it's Christmas”.
Venezuela is a country where cultures are mixed with traditions: the Christmas tree is put up, but also the manger is made; a letter is written to Santa, but also to Baby Jesus; hallacas are eaten, but also turkeys, grapes and roscones. What is fixed is that in spite of the vicissitudes we may be living, an air of fraternity, hope and gratitude is felt in the heart of our people when December arrives.
When people ask me why my name is Nancy, I would like to say it's after the French city, or after President Ronald Reagan's wife, the former first lady of the United States: Nancy Reagan (although in college my friend Maria C. called me “Reagan”); but no, I say it's after Nancy Ramos, the Christmas singer. And you know what? I think my name fit me like a glove, because I am a party person, cheerful, colorful, “parrandera”. In short: I am Christmas. ;)