Marimba
The rustic and simple marimba made of gourds has been transformed in a complete musical instrument that has been declared a Guatemalan national symbol. The memory of Guatemalan composer Sebastian Hurtado (1827-1913) has been given the greatest honor with the fact that the new shop-school of the double keybord marimba has been named in his honor. This marimba is known as cuache or "twins". The double keyboard marimba was created and improved by this composer from Quetzaltenango.
This school-shop is located in the local market of Quetzaltenango. The first promotion of this school will be graduated on october 5th with marimba music in the Municipal theatre of Xela. Mario Barrios is the teacher of this school who teaches his pupils the art of building and playing this instrument. The keys of the marimba are made of hormigo wood and the rest of the marimba is made of pine and oak. This shop has already made six marimbas since it was founded in february of 2004. The objective of this school is to honor and recognized Sebastian Hurtado.
The musical books of Guatemala reveal that Sebastian Hurtado was the first person to build a double keyboard marimba, capable of playing more complex musical pieces. In the year 1899, the Hurtado brother’s marimba gave a concert in honor of then president Manuel Estrada Cabrera. For this concert they used the first double keyboard marimba. Before that time, there was only the one keyboard marimba where complex music pieces could not be played.
Nobody knows the origins of this musical instrument. Some historias say that it was born in africa and Asia. Other historians also believe that the marimba originated in Guatemala. They base their belief in a ceremonial pot found in Alta Verapaz 1000 A.C. where there is a drawing of a marimba.
The simple keys of the gourd marimba were changed for keys made of hormigo and the gourds were changed for resonancy boxes. Sebastian Hurtado and his oldest son played the first double keyboard marimba. This new design changed the Guatemalan marimba music and marimba music in general.
