Instruments That Bring Us Together
The Latin American countries embody strong indigenous roots, traditions, architectures, and gastronomy, among other points of contact of cultural hybridization. Just as corn is a cross-cutting food in many of our Hispanic countries, pyramidal constructions are too, even making us wonder on many occasions about technologies used in very distant times that can go beyond centuries of civilization.
But this is not the discussion that I want to present this time, instead, I want to return to the line of my previous rewrites, I will talk about musical instruments that bring us together in our countries. Today the turn is for “la Marimba”. This traditional instrument, travels through territories from Central America to South America, without even stopping to discuss the origin of this instrument.
The sound of the jungle, of cultural transformations, of the black presence in our continent, is condensed in this instrument “La marimba”, which runs through the entire territory from Chiapas – Mexico, passing through Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, and descending through the Pacific sea, until meeting with Colombia and Ecuador.
For their construction, the marimbas use sonorous and resistant woods such as Hormiguillo in Central America and Chonta in South America, in any case, they are made from woods that vibrate when struck and their use is what brings together families, traditions, and celebrations. The unification of families means that the marimba will forever be an instrument that invites the carnival from the musical performances of Papá Roncón in Ecuador, José Antonio Torres “Gualajo” in Colombia, marimberos de Comalcalco in Mexico, “Bahia Son” in Colombia, “Marimba Linda Xelajú” in Guatemala and many more great performers, who maintain the tradition and joy around this instrument that transmits happiness and permanent joy that accompanies our Hispanic-American population, so there will be marimba for many more years.
Performances such as the Marimba Festival in Antigua in Guatemala, the Petronio Álvarez festival in Colombia, Marimbas de Centroamérica in Costa Rica, and other performances will allow this sound of the Marimba to be maintained forever.
– By: Omar Eduardo Beltrán Ruíz