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The Sebucán is a dance around a May pole with ribbons, which is meant to imitate the tool also called the sebucán, which is a cassava strainer. (source) One source says the dance is traditionally danced on September 24. (source)

Lyrics - Spanish

(Folk song from Venezuela)

1. Nosotros somos los indios, los indios de Pariaguán, (repeat)
Que venimos a bailar este lindo Sebucán. (repeat 3 times)

2. Aquí estamos las guarichas tejiendo este Sebucán. (repeat)
Y, si nos equivocamos, mal tejido quedará. (repeat 3 times)

3. El que quiera aprender a tejer el Sebucán, (repeat)
Fijándose en nosotras en seguida aprenderá. (repeat 3 times)

4. El tejer el sebucán ss de gran facilidad, (repeat)
Pero para destejerlo está la dificultad. (repeat 3 times)

5. Este lindo sebucán se abre como un paraguas, (repeat)
Tiene cintas de colores y en el medio la encarná*. (repeat 3 times)

6. Y ya estamos destejiendo este lindo sebucán, (repeat)
Señores y señoritas, complacidos quedarán. (repeat 3 times)

Translation – The Sebucán (traditional dance named for a cassava strainer)

1. We’re the indigenous people, the indigenous people of Pariaguán (repeat)
Who’ve come to dance this pretty Sebucán. (repeat 3 times)

2. Here are the girls weaving this Sebucán. (repeat)
And if we’re confused, we’ll make a bad weaving. (repeat 3 times)

3. Whoever wants to learn to weave the Sebucán, (repeat)
Watch us and you’ll learn right away. (repeat 3 times)

4. To weave the sebucán, it’s very easy, (repeat)
But to unravel it is difficult. (repeat 3 times)

5. This pretty sebucán opens up like an umbrella, (repeat)
It has many-colored ribbons and in the middle a red one. (repeat 3 times)

6. And we are already unraveling this pretty sebucán (repeat)
Ladies and gentlemen, you will be very pleased. (repeat 3 times)

Dance

Formation: Students stand around a pole, each one holding a long ribbon attached to the top of the pole. It is helpful to have someone hold the pole in place.

At the beginning, students can all circle right, then all circle left. They can also move forward, then backward a few times.

For about 2 verses, the students all go in the same direction, weaving in and out of each other.

For the next 2 verses, the students reverse direction and unweave the ribbons by weaving in and out of each other.

For the rest of the song, half of the students make an inside circle and walk one direction while the other half of the students walk around them in the other direction.

See also

YouTube

  • PDF of song with chords
  • MIDI file
  • Listen to the melody

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