"JACARAS" - Composed by Antonio de Santa Cruz c. 1650

From the CD Book of Baroque According to the Guitar of LVJ

This is a short musical journey with a composition by Baroque guitarist and composer, Antonio de Santa Cruz. He was active in the mid-seventeenth century. In all likelihood, he was part of the old vihuela da mano tradition, which reaches back to the Renaissance.

Originally a Jácaras was a comic interlude inserted into theatrical production, highlighting and parodying the action of some rude or offensive person, generally politicians or government officials. Eventually, they acquired choreography and became dance songs associated with coachmen and valets (who would sing to them on the streets). The recurring harmonic progressive yields a structure similar to that of the chaconne.

Lou Johnson has transcribed the music from Antonio de Santa Cruz’s tablature facsimile.
He recorded it on a modern classical guitar and it is featured on an album titled, “The Book of Baroque - According the Guitar of Louis Valentine Johnson.”.

Dr. Mark A. Radice
March 15, 2000

https://www.louisvalentinejohnson.com/