DESCRIPTION:
El Romanton (the shawl) was composed by the popular singer Francisco Muro using the rhythm of the Pasodoble, a dance of Spanish origin. The dance was very popular at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century and was played mainly by bands called canyoneros. The text depicts the society of the time when young people liked to by imported clothes, but didn't have enough money to pay for them. Miguel Astor is a composer, arranger, pianist, choral conductor and musicologist in Venezuela. He composes in a wide variety of styles, from symphonic to popular song. El Romanton was arranged by Astor (born 1958), and is sung here by the Madison Youth Choirs (of Wisconsin, U.S.), Lisa Kjentvet, conductor, and was performed at First Unitarian Society Church in the concert on May 3rd, 2009, Songs for a Small Planet, Hearing With the Heart performance, Choir Capriccio.