- Guacharaca
Guacharaca is a musical percussion instrument usually made out of the cane-like trunk of a small palm tree. The guacharaca itself consists of a tube with ridges carved into its outer surface with part of its interior hollowed out, giving it the appearance of a tiny, notched canoe. It is played with a fork composed of hard wire fixed into a wooden handle. The 'guacharaquero' (guacharaca player) scrapes the fork along the instrument's surface to create its characteristic scratching sound. A typical guacharaca is about as thick as a broomstick and as long as a
violin . The guacharaca was invented by native American Indians from theTairona culture in the region of laSierra Nevada de Santa Marta , Colombia as an instrument to simulate the guacharaca (orOrtalis ruficauda ) bird's singing. During the mid 20th century it was adopted byVallenato musicians and today it is most often associated with this musical style.Guacharacas provide a steady rhythmic backbone for all varieties of Vallenato.
ee also
*
caja
*accordion
*TaironasExternal links
* [http://larkinthemorning.com/product.asp?pn=PER391&Guacharaca+=&bhcd2=1158779692 Larkinthemorning.com]
* [http://www.historical-museum.org/folklife/sa_music/english/guacharaca.htm Historical-Museum.org]
* [http://www.festivalvallenato.com/html/el_folclor/el_folclor_vallenato_la_musica_vallenata_instrumentos_guacharaca.htm FestivalVallenato.com es_icon ]
* [http://www.parrandavallenata.com/Sections+index-req-viewarticle-artid-13-page-1.html Parrandavallenata.com es_icon]
* [http://www.worlddiscoveries.net/Latin%20Issue/General%20Latin%20Music%20Awards.htm Worlddiscoveries.net]Further reading
*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.George List, African Influences in the Rhythmic and Metric Organization of Colombian Costeño Folksong and Folk Music, "Latin American Music Review / Revista de Música Latinoamericana", Vol. 1, No. 1. (Spring - Summer, 1980), pp. 6-17.
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