8 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS FROM THE CARIBBEAN REGION OF COLOMBIA - ART - 2024

The musical instruments of the Caribbean region of Colombia are designed and played to interpret the main genres of the area, such as cumbia, vallenato, champeta or porro.

Colombian music represents a set of knowledge, beliefs, religions, experiences, morals and customs that is implicit in the diversity of musical varieties of Colombia.

In both traditional and modern ways, the traits of music in the different regions of Colombia are unique and enjoyable. The diversity of musical expressions found in Colombia can be seen as the result of a mixture of African, native indigenous and European (especially Spanish) influences, as well as more modern American ones.

Colombia has a vibrant collage of talent that plays a full spectrum of rhythms ranging from pop and classical music to salsa and rock music.

Colombian music is promoted mainly by the support of the major record companies, independent companies and the Government of Colombia, through the Ministry of Culture.

Musical instruments most used in the Caribbean region

Each genre of music has its own instruments and the genres heard in Colombia are no exception.

Here is a list of the musical instruments that make a mark in the traditional and modern music of the Caribbean region of Colombia.

1- Accordion

No one is quite sure how the accordion came to Colombia in the 19th century. Legend has it that a German ship was wrecked in the Magdalena River and the rescued accordions went to captivate the nation.

Either way, the accordion is now the backbone of Colombian folk music.

The vallenato was born on the Caribbean coast, where troubadours played their accordions and sang stories from town to town. Accordions are also included in cumbia music.

Every year, Colombia has the largest accordion competition in the world, the Festival Leyenda Vallenata in Valledupar, and the instrument has inspired some of the country's biggest stars, such as Carlos Vives, Shakira, Juanes and Fonseca.

2- Guacharaca

The guacharaca is a percussion instrument, generally made from the trunks of small palm trees. It is essentially a tube with ridges carved into the surface, scraped off with a wire fork.

The Tairona indigenous people, from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, on the north coast of Colombia, invented the guacharaca to simulate the song of the guacharaca bird and the instrument now represents the indigenous side of vallenato and cumbia, along with European and Spanish influences. West African.

A guacharaca interpreter is known as a guacharaquero.

3- Tiple

The tiple is a small guitar (approximately three-quarters the size of a classical guitar) that is descended from guitars brought by the Spanish conquerors to the New World.

This instrument was played by artists and people of humble backgrounds until it gained popularity.

The tiple is generally played along with a tambourine and is an essential part of Colombia's rural heritage.

The Tiple y Guabina Festival is held in Vélez, Santander, every August. Guabina is a genre of song, dance and music that, like the tiple, is popular in Caribbean regions and in Santander, Antioquia, Boyacá and Cundinamarca.

4- Tambora

The tambora, or bombo, is a large drum, popular among African-Colombian communities in the Caribbean regions of Colombia. It is made from tree bark and covered with deer, goat, or sheep skin.

Tamboras are essential to cumbia music, which can be heard throughout Colombia, including the Barranquilla Carnival and the National Cumbia Festival in El Banco, Magdalena.

The tambora is played with drumsticks and is also part of the marimba tradition of the Pacific coast, where musicians sing and play at social gatherings, saint worship, and vigils.

These traditions are passed down orally, with older musicians leading the younger drummers.

5- Bagpipes

The bagpipe, also known as the kuisi, is an indigenous wind instrument from the Caribbean coast of Colombia.

It is believed that it was first touched by the Kogi people of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The bagpipe is made of cactus, with a feather at one end and holes for different notes.

It has a male, female and short version, with various numbers of holes, and is used in cumbia, merengue, puya, and porro music.

The bagpipe is known as the "Colombian bagpipe" because it also has an instrument of the same name in Spain, known as Spanish bagpipes.

Its most famous devotees are Latin Grammy winners the San Jacinto Pipers, who also play drums and maracas when they perform.

6- Harp

The harp is at the heart of the music of this region, as well as in the region of the cowboy plains of eastern Colombia.

The Spanish conquistadors brought the instrument with them when they traveled to the New World and it was soon absorbed into the local culture.

The llanera version has 32 or 33 strings of different lengths and is usually made of cedar, pine or other hard wood.

Since its inception, the harp has inspired infusions of pop and salsa music, although its popularity in the traditional music of the region is evident at the annual “Golden Harp” festival.

7- Cowbell

The cowbell is a percussion instrument used in various styles of music including salsa, porro, and infrequently in popular music.

Its name owes the honor to the bell that has been used by shepherds throughout history to keep an eye on livestock.

In Colombian music the cowbell is used within the musical genre porro palitiao.

8- Vallenata box

The vallenata box, similar to a tambora, is one of the three main or traditional instruments of vallenata music.

Caja is the slang word adopted to nickname this drum. There is also a Caribbean drum called a caja, used in the music of Colombia.

There are two types of vallenata box:

• Traditional: elliptical cylinder made of wood and a cowhide (drum) stretched over the widest opening and tightened with rustic ropes, approximately 30 cm (12 inches) high.
• Modern version: similar to a conga drum but shorter in height (approximately 30 cm or 12 inches). Made from wood but no strings are used to stretch and support the skin. A metal frame screwed to the wooden base is used to hold the animal skin or an X-ray (radiography) sheet as skin.

References

1. Burton, Kim. "The Golden Sound". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), World Music, Vol. 2: Latin & North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific, pp 372–385. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. ISBN 1-85828-636-0.
2. Raymond Torres-Santos. (2017). Music Education in the Caribbean and Latin America: A Comprehensive Guide. Google Books: Rowman & Littlefield.
3. George List, "Performing Styles in Folk Music and Dance: The Mbira in Cartagena", Journal of the International Folk Music Council, Vol. 20. (1968), pp. 54-59.
4. 98, Howard, Rob (2003) An A to Z of the Accordion and related instruments Stockport: Robaccord Publications ISBN 978-0-9546711-0-5.
5. Garsd, Jasmine (Feb 18, 2015). "Cumbia: The Musical Backbone Of Latin America". National Public Radio. Alt Latino. Retrieved August 10, 2017.