How did the O’odham develop the waila fiddle repertory?

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Native American music Native Americans playing drums at a powwow.

The O’odham people developed the waila fiddle repertory by adopting and adapting European fiddle music, which they began playing by the 1800s. By the 1860s, O’odham fiddlers were performing this music for dances such as the mazurka, schottische, and polka at public events in Tucson, Arizona. Over time, this practice evolved into the distinct waila style, which has since become an important and recognized form of traditional music.1