If you know that Guatemala is located in Central America, just south of the Mexican border, you might think that their music is typical Mariachi music, Native American music or even Western-styles. However, Guatemalan classical and folk music is probably not like anything you've heard before. Although there has been considerable Western influence from Spain, and modern popular music is much like popular styles in the U. S., Guatemalan music makes use of several native instruments:
- Idiophones, which are instruments that produce sound by vibrating themselves. These include the Chinchines (similar to maracas), Sonajas (similar to rattles), and the most popular Guatemalan instrument: the Marimba.
- Membraphones, which are instruments that produce sound by a vibrating membrane, such as the Tortuga or Ayotl (turtle shells), Primero (Garifuna tenor drum), Segundo (Garifuna bass drum), the Huehuetl (drum built with tiger skin and a hollow trunk), the Tunkul (drum built with resonant wood or clay), and the Tun (wood block with holes and slots).
- Chordophones, which are instruments that produce sound by vibrating strings. Although Native Guatemalan instruments similar to violins are no longer used, some Western chordophones such as banjos, violas and guitars are used.
- Aerophones, which are instruments that produce sound by vibrating columns of air. These include the Tzu (6-hole transverse flute), the Tzicolaj (3-hole piccolo-like instrument), the Ocarina, and the popular Chirimia (6-hole tenor oboe-like instrument).
(You can see some pictures at: http://www.angelfire.com/hero2/mis_asignaturas/instrtipicos.html).
Here are a couple of examples of classical music from Guatemala, which feature mainly Marimba, Chirimia and some Western instruments:
- Luna the Xelaju (Xelaju's Moon), one of Guatemala's best-known songs, written by Paco Perez, and played at almost every Guatemalan civic event. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M983vKQjd3g&playnext_from=TL&videos=WOjdVwKVS8s.
- El Ferrocarril the Los Altos (The Railroad at Los Altos), classical marimba music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0VGODoRy9o&feature=related.
Here are some examples of folk music from Guatemala, which feature Native Guatemalan instruments:
- El Rey Quiche (The Quiche King), a popular indigenous song which is played at many Mayan ceremonies (The Maya, Garifuna and Olmeca are the original peoples of Guatemala). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjACwwBeocM.
- El Grito (The Scream, also known as Yo Soy Puro Guatemalteco, I Am Pure Guatemalan), a folk song for marimba. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDeijEDypuk&feature=related.
- La Danza del Venado y el Tigre (The Dance of the Deer and the Tiger), a Mayan song written for Moros dances. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk3He3BT8Ys.
Finally, Here are some examples of popular music from Guatemala:
- Soy the Zacapa (I'm from Zacapa), played in this example with now-popular Mexican influence in Mariachi style. Just the first two minutes are Soy the Zacapa -- the rest is popular Mexican music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haY3zigpowc&feature=related.
- Historia de un Taxista (The Story of a Taxi Cab Driver), a pop/rock song by Guatemalan composer/singer Ricardo Arjona. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYGLuhfIDCI&feature=related.
- Jesus Verbo, No Sustantivo (Jesus: Verse, Not Noun), a Christian slow rock song by Ricardo Arjona in his typical singing style. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6aWGwMddiA.
- Duende (Genie), a social-reform rock song by Guatemalan rock band Alux Nahual. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x18s0zd0msw.
- Si El Norte Fuera El Sur (If the North Were the South), a social-reform rock song by Ricardo Arjona. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRX6NUV0Bvc.
By the way, not all of these songs are in Spanish. That is because Guatemala has 24 official languages (Spanish is one of them). Learn more about Guatemalan music on Wikipedia here and here.
You can play all these songs at this playlist on YouTube.com: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=F349190D78C749F8.