Parang—resilient and transcendental

By Dr Francisca Allard

Lecturer (Freelance) Ethnomusicology & Spanish

It is Parang time again,
sing the sweet refrain;
Sereno será, sing de ting,
de la madruga(da,) sing de ting
[Borracho by Dinámicos]

It is undeniable that in this  21st century, Parang has moved away from its natural traditional setting and has become a ‘musical artform worthy of hire’. Still, there is an elusive component in the performance of Parang music that makes it stand apart from the other musical expressions in Trinidad.

Its orchestral nature, embodying the joyous human activity of making music, continue to foster feelings of connection and celebration among members and onlookers. This is the truest sense of ‘paranging’—the shared act of gift giving as inherited from our Venezuelan ancestors. This act transcends monetary value since its self-emptying nature can never be ‘purchased’.

In the Daily Express, dated Monday, November 3, 2025, there was a picture of renowned Parang group, Los Buenos Parranderos, with the highlighted caption “Parang for Charity”.

After reading further, I realised that the group was performing at an Annual Charity Cause at Mille Fleurs, Port of Spain. However, my attention was caught by the caption, since paranging for charity, (except in cases where the proprietors/promoters recognise the true worth of Parang music) is what the majority (if not all) groups face every year.

A Soca artiste is paid some $4000 by event promoters while an entire 12-member Parang group may be paid the same or even less.

What does that mean for us parranderos where this inherited and evolutionary Parang art form remains financially unrewarding in the eyes of proprietors/promoters at large? Should we be discouraged?

The answer is no, simply because the relationality of Parang music continues to defy the parameters within which other musical genres are confined. Social relationships are enacted and explored in the gestural process of communication that the music provides.

This does not mean that we should not continue to lobby for fair and just payment from proprietors/promoters, especially when some parranderos make their living from playing and singing music.

One of the reasons posited by promoters is that Soca/Calypso is more marketable, attracts more patrons and brings greater financial reward. It is a fact that in many shows that are labelled ‘Parang events’, Soca Parang artistes are being asked to perform to bolster the attraction of massive crowds and financial gain.

Many of us, Parang groups, have also included Soca Parang favourites and popular Latin songs as part of our repertoire to meet the demands of public listeners. This preference for Soca Parang does not diminish the quality of Parang music nor the musical ability of the Parang singers.

Linguistic understanding

In making music together, parranderos are able to discern the nuances that make a performance stronger and to achieve better tone, balance, and accuracy in their musical presentation. The reality is that the Parang art form has not garnered enough public commercial interest.

Another suggestion is that Parang is sung in Spanish and that it is probably a deterrent for some English-speaking Trinis who would prefer to have both a sensory and linguistic understanding of the art form.

The third reason is that the average ‘Trini’ wants to hear Parang only at Christmas time and the social media platforms also promote it only during the Christmas season, except for the recent Christmas in July, launched by 100.1FM, which showcases Parang songs.

It may be deduced that because of the public absence of Parang music for some nine months of the year, the art form becomes relatively dormant and misses out on the opportunity to fulfil its musical potential.

Nevertheless, the resilient parrandero is able to rise above these financial inequalities and continues to joyously share in song, the gift of Christ’s birth.

This social act entails listening and helping one another to find a comfortable place through the shared ritual of musical performance.

Unlike Calypso, which was borne out of the pain and suffering of enslaved Africans, and soon became a vehicle of protest and rebellion, Parang music was borne out of neighbourly love and goodwill; the desire to share oneself and the gift of song with friends and relatives.

Junior parranderos, from schools throughout Trinidad, exhibit this togetherness at NPATT’s (The National Parang Association of Trinidad) Annual Junior Parang Competition where both participants and non-participants congregate and parang joyfully as they await the results of the competition.

Summarily, Parang music is given freely and lives out the true spirit of synodality. It is a music created out of love and love can never be purchased. It is this intrinsic quality of paranging that enables it to transcend the earthiness of other musical genres, into a sphere where its price can never be reached by mercenary proprietors/promoters.