Indianas is a suite of six pieces, by Carlos Guastavino, edited by Oscar Escalada. Guastavino set his music to texts by Argentine poets and dedicated the entire suite to a well-known Argentine conductor, Antonio Russo. The suite includes the following titles:
Gala Del Día – Finery of the Day
Quién Fuera Como El Jazmín… – Who Could Be Like the Jasmine...
Chañarcito, Chañarcito. . . – A Thorny Bush
Viento Norte – Northern Wind
Al Tribunal De Tu Pecho… – To the Court of Your Heart
Una De Dos – One or the Other
The word “Indianas” comes from the misnomer made by the Spanish conquistadors while exploring their way to the Indies in the east. Consequently, the native inhabitants were mistakenly referred to as “Indian” and their culture as “Indiana culture.” The suite portrays Indiana culture through some dances and although the dances are not strictly folkloric, they have elements that closely resemble it.