La Raspa

Question

In celebration of our Hispanic Heritage month, I am planning on teaching our first graders La Raspa. I am researching origins, culture etc but have been unable to translate the name of the dance. The literal translation is "bone" Any ideas if this is the translation I should use? Was the rhythm tapped out on bones? A Hunting celebration dance'''? Thanks!!!

Answer 1

Thank you!!! Very interesting - yes, I can imagine my first graders can identify with the chicken scratch! How fun!

Answer 2

Raspa can also be a bunch of grapes (Spain), a dressing-down or reprimand (Amer.), a thief (Arg.), or the burnt residue left in a pot (Cuba). That last one surely comes from the verb raspar, to scrape or shave. The verb can also be to steal to tell off (as reflected by the above noun meanings), to to go away (Venez.)

I found some sites discussing the origin of the name, which suggest that the moves are similar to those of a chicken scratching at the ground.