Areíto

The areíto or areyto was a type of performance and ceremony of the Taíno people of the Caribbean. The areíto involved dancing, singing and music, and conveyed elements of Taíno religion and culture. It generally took place on designated grounds in villages.

History

Despite superficial similarity to "airito", the diminutive form of the Spanish word for a musical air, the term areíto is originally a Taíno language word, which was adopted by the earliest Spanish chroniclers to describe local dances, poems, chants and songs of the Taíno people.Anacaona was one of the early noted composers of areítos.

Areítos were especially common among the Classic Taíno of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, but they were held in all Taíno areas. Areítos were held for a variety of reasons, including to honor and entertain guests. In the early days of European colonization, Taíno chiefs hosted areítos for Spanish visitors, who recorded information about the ceremonies. According to the historical documentation, areítos often featured assemblies of nobles dancing and singing to music played with rattles and drums. The ceremonies invoked elements of Taíno culture and religious practice, including veneration of the zemis and ancestors. Areítos were held in designated spaces, specifically the public plaza or dance ground outside the chief's house. Classic Taíno villages often featured an elaborate dance court, an outdoor area surrounded by earthwork banks and sometimes stone carvings of the zemis.

Areito (record label)

Areito is a Cuban record label founded in 1964 as the primary imprint of EGREM, which is based in Havana. Areito is named after the recording studio from which the vast majority of its catalog stems, which in turn was named after the Taíno ritual of the same name. Prior to the nationalization of the Cuban music industry in 1961, the studio was property of the Panart record label. Since the 1960s, Areito/EGREM has been the main music company in Cuba, managing most of the recording, manufacture and distribution of albums, EPs and singles in the country. Areito's counterpart in eastern Cuba is Siboney.

Both imprints, Areito and Siboney, were discontinued by EGREM in 1996. EGREM's studios in Havana are still called Estudios Areito.

International distribution

During the mid to late 1960s, the international distribution of Areito LPs and EPs was handled by Palma, a short-lived imprint organized by EGREM. In the 1970s, Palma was replaced by Guamá, an imprint launched by EGREM to commercialize Cuban music around the world.

Areito (disambiguation)

The areíto was a performance and ceremony of the Taíno people of the Caribbean.

Areíto, areito or areyto may also refer to: