Culture

Nicaraguan culture has several distinct strands. The west of the country was colonised by Spain and has a similar culture to other Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. The eastern half of the country, on the other hand, was once a British protectorate. English is still predominant in this region and spoken domestically along with Spanish and indigenous languages. Its culture is similar to that of Caribbean nations that were or are British possessions, such as Jamaica, Belize and The Cayman Islands.

Of the cultures that were present before European colonisation, the Nahuatl-speaking peoples who populated the west of the country have essentially been assimilated into the Latino culture. In the east, however, several indigenous groups have maintained a distinct identity. The Miskito, Sumo, Garifuna, and Rama people still use their original languages, and also usually speak English and/or Spanish.

The people of Nicaragua are mostly Mestizos, and Spanish is invariably their first language. Nicaraguans are prone to refer to themselves as Nicas, Nicoyas and Pinoleros. Nicaragua has strong folklore, music and religious traditions, deeply influenced by European culture but enriched with Amerindian sounds and flavours.

Legends

Nicaraguans legends are similar to legends found in other Latin American countries. Some popular legends include:

Cadejo

There is a good white cadejo and an evil black cadejo. Both are spirits that appear at night to travellers. The white cadejo appears in order to protect them from harm during their journey, and the black cadejo (sometimes an incarnation of the devil) appears in order to kill them. The cadejos usually appear in the form of a large, cow-sized shaggy dog with burning red eyes and a goat's hooves, although in some areas they have more bull-like characteristics. According to the stories, those who have attempted to kill the black cadejo have failed and perished.

Segua

Also called Sihuanaba, Segua is probably a romanisation of the nahuatl 'Sihua' which means woman. The legend of Sihuanaba says that the woman, originally called Sihuehuet ('beautiful woman'), had a romance with god Tlaloc's son, which resulted in her pregnancy. She was a bad mother, leaving her son alone to meet her lover. When Tlaloc found out about this, he cursed Sihuehuet to be now called Sihuanaba ('hideous woman'): she would be beautiful at first sight, but when men approached her, she would turn into a horrible abomination.

La Llorona

La Llorona (sometimes called the Woman in White or the Weeping Woman) is the ghost of a woman crying for her dead children. Her appearances are sometimes held to presage death.

Music

Modern Nicaraguan music is a mixture of indigenous and European (especially Spanish) influences. Musical instruments include the marimba and others common across Central America.

The marimba of Nicaragua is uniquely played by a sitting performer holding the instrument on their knees. The marimba is made with hardwood plates, placed over bamboo or metal tubes of varying lengths. It is played with two or four hammers. They are usually accompanied by a bass fiddle, guitar and guitarrilla (a small guitar like a mandolin). This music is played at social functions as a sort of background music.

The Caribbean coast of Nicaragua is known for a lively, sensual form of dance music that is especially loud and celebrated during the May Palo de Mayo festival. The celebration is derived from the British Maypole for May Day celebration, as adapted and transformed by the Afro-Nicaraguans on the Caribbean or Mosquito Coast.

The Garifuna community exists in Nicaragua and is known for its popular music called Punta. In addition, Soca music, Reggaeton and Reggae is popular throughout the country.

Literature

Nicaragua has historically been an important source of literature in the Hispanic world with many internationally renowned authors. The most notable is Rubén Darío, who is one of the most famous writers in the Spanish language; he is considered the nation's greatest son. Other notable writers include Ernesto Cardenal, Sergio Ramirez Mercado ,Gioconda Belli, Jose Coronel Urtecho, Lizandro Chavez Alfaro and Pablo Antonio Cuadra.

Sports

Baseball is the number one played sport in Nicaragua. Although some of the professional Nicaraguan baseball teams have disappeared over the past few years, Nicaragua enjoys a strong tradition of American style Baseball. There are currently five teams that compete amongst themselves:

• Indios del Boer (Managua)
• Chinandega
• Tiburones (Sharks) of Granada
• Leon
• Masaya

Players from these teams comprise the National team when Nicaragua is competing internationally. The country has had its share of MLB players but the most notable is Dennis Martínez, who was the first baseball player from Nicaragua to play in Major League Baseball, he also pitched the 13th perfect game in major league history.

Recently, football (soccer) has gained some popularity, especially with the younger population. The Dennis Martínez National Stadium has served as a venue for both baseball and football, but the first ever national football stadium in Managua is currently under construction.

Also popular among Nicaraguans is boxing, the country has had champions such as world champions Alexis Argüello and Ricardo Mayorga.