Music of Costa Rica

Costa Rica's pre-Columbian population has contributed a large part of the country's folk heritage, include rare musical scales, certain ceremonial songs and ocarinas.

The Andean peña tradition (an international gathering of like-minded persons) is strong in Costa Rica as well, introduced by immigrants from Chile and Argentina.

In the late 1980s some local artists and bands became famous for having their own style and original material, such as José Capmany, Distorsión, Café con Leche, Modelo Para Armar and Inconsciente Colectivo; some of them had fans from outside of Costa Rica, such as Editus, a Grammy winning contemporary jazz ensemble.

Some examples of Costa Rican hits with Chiqui chiqui are: From the late 1990s to the present time, there has emerged a newer local rock style led by bands such as Gandhi, Evolución, Tango India, Suite Doble, Alma Bohemia, and Kadeho, all of which have been accepted positively by Costa Rican youths.

The international community starts to take a look at Costa Rica where bands such as Time's Forgotten plays in BajaProg (Rock Festival) and have several reviews in the best progressive magazines, sites, and radios.

Bands such as: Deep Purple, Aerosmith, Anthrax, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Cannibal Corpse, Apocalyptica, Arch Enemy, Green Day, Helloween, Rhapsody Of Fire, Epica, Nightwish, had come to play in the country, as well as international singers and musicians like Paul McCartney and Carlos Santana.

Cantoamerica is a band led by Manuel Monestel that for many years has developed research and promotion of the music of the Costa Rican Caribbean coast.

Such artist as Sirius the Dogg Starr, Tiko305, Crypy 626, Huba, Toledo, Gtermis (Ragga by Roots), Charli VL, AXB, Bega, Tapon, shel, gonin, banton y ghetto, kike, Tinez, Original Warrior Street Reggae Artist, Poeta, Mr Pray, Jahricio, Rude Boy, Talawa Reggae Army.

"La niña violinista del Taburete" was how newspapers used to refer to 4-year-old violin "Concertina Ana Gabriela Castro-Rosabal".

This affectionate title, was given due to the fact, that she was so small, that she used a wooden box, made by her father Enrique, to rest her feet.

Classical music performing organizations include the Costa Rican National Symphony Orchestra (formed in 1970), which has been conducted by Americans Gerald Brown and Irwin Hoffman, followed by the Japanese Chosei Komatsu.

Contemporary composers include Mario Alfagüell, Marvin Camacho, Alejandro Cardona, Bernal Flores, Benjamín Gutiérrez, Luis Diego Herra, and Eddie Mora, to name but a few.

In recent years the government, led by the Ministerio de Cultura, has aimed to revitalize traditional Costa Rican music.