El Tamborito, literally translated to "the Little Drum", is a genre of Panamanian folkloric music and dance dating back as early as the 17th century.
The Tamborito is a derivative of mestizo dance and folkloric music, with the melody tracing its roots as far back as the seventeenth century.
[2] Panama's most famous Tamborito was written in 1918 by Juan Pastor Peredes, put to music by Carmen Lagnon, entitled El tambor de la alegria.
[3] The Tamborito is musically performed to the beat of drums, the stomping of feet, the clapping of hands, and the chanting of harmonic poems, called coplas.
Vocally, the Tamborito is led by a female singer, the cantalante, who sings of the lust, frustration, and sexual tension and attraction felt between the men and women at carnival.
The onlooking spectators and awaiting group of performers, known as the estribillio, respond to the cantalante's song by clapping twice to a measure and by the singing of the copla.
[5] The Pollera is a gown only worn on festival occasions and consists of two ruffles, embroidered with colors and intricate designs, two pom-poms are fastened to the front and rear of the woman's chest with lace gracefully draped from handmade thread lace insertion at the neckline.
The Montuno generally consists of long sleeved, white collared shirt, which fits loosely on the performer.