Guacharaca

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A guacharaca with a cane and a friction fork

The guacharaca is a rubbing stick that is one of the three main musical instruments in Colombian vallenato . The musicians call themselves guacharaquero .

Design and style of play

The percussion instrument , which belongs to the idiophones, consists of a cane and a friction fork. There are several small grooves milled there along the tubular rod. When playing, the guacharaquero rubs the fork along the surface over the stick. This creates the characteristic sharp sound. A typical guacharaca is about the size of a violin and about the thickness of a broomstick.

origin

The Guacharaca was invented by the Tairona Indians in the Colombian mountain region of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta . The Indians pursued the goal of using the instrument to simulate the song of a certain species of bird, namely that of the red-tailed guan ( Ortalis ruficauda , also known as "Guacharaca" in Colombia). In the twentieth century, Vallenato musicians began using the instrument in their music. To this day, guacharacas are particularly associated with vallenato, and they serve as the rhythmic backbone for all variations of this musical style.

literature

  • George List: Performing Styles in Folk Music and Dance: The Mbira in Cartagena. In: Journal of the International Folk Music Council , Vol. 20. (1968), pp. 54-59.
  • George List: African Influences in the Rhythmic and Metric Organization of Colombian Costeño Folksong and Folk Music. In: Latin American Music Review / Revista de Música Latinoamericana , Vol. 1, No. 1. (Spring-Summer, 1980), pp. 6-17.

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