gritos

Gritos is the plural form of grito, a noun in Spanish that denotes a loud vocal sound produced in anger, fear, joy, or urgency. A grito can be a shout, yell, cry, or exclamation, and gritos is used to describe multiple such sounds or a set of cries in narration or reporting. The term covers both spontaneous vocalizations and ceremonial or ritual calls.

In everyday language and literature, gritos convey emphasis, emotion, or a crowd’s reaction. The plural form is commonly used to describe noise, alarm, or celebration, and can function as a descriptive device in storytelling, journalism, and description.

In cultural and musical contexts, a grito can be an expressive shouted note that punctuates a phrase or signals a transition. In various Latin American musical traditions, this vocal cue serves as a recognizable expressive element. The concept is also linked to historical and national rituals in Spanish-speaking countries. For example, El Grito de Dolores refers to the cry that Miguel Hidalgo issued in 1810 to initiate the Mexican War of Independence, a moment celebrated in the annual Grito de Independencia in Mexico.

Overall, gritos encompasses a range of uses from ordinary expressions of emotion to culturally significant practices in music, history, and national identity.