Quicktime Movie: Irvan J. Perez sings a medieval spanish decima ballad. What Is a Decima? A "Decima" is a ten stanza folksong developed in Spain in the 1500's and still sung in medieval Spanish dialect in isolated fishing villages in Louisiana. In communities like Delacroix Island, Reggio, Shell Beach, Woodlake and Yscloskey, singing decimas is a tradition which has been passed down from generation to generation. Some decimas are satirical; others are tall tales. Many of the decimas tell the events of the lives of local Isleños while others offer social commentary. Singing decimas has played an important role in keeping alive the cultural heritage of the Isleños. Support CIDA in its goal to share the dialect, decimas, music, dance and traditions of the immigrants from the Canary Islands by joining or contributing to CIDA. NOTE: To download the QuickTime player, click here.
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