New acquisitions and an exhibit in the Latin America and the Caribbean Gallery are bringing attention to the marimba, a widely appreciated instrument across Central America, Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador.
The Marimbas exhibit in the gallery explores the history and evolution of this instrument. Initially introduced to Central America by African slaves, marimbas were embraced by Maya musicians during the 16th and 17th centuries. The exhibit features a “marimba de tecomates,” crafted around 1920 by Guatemala’s Maya K’iche’ people. This piece is reminiscent of its African predecessors with its single row of keys and gourd resonators—common traits for marimbas up until the 19th century. Pig intestine membranes attached to resonators produce a buzzing sound when keys are struck. A wooden arc on the player’s side alleviated weight as musicians supported it on their backs, shoulders, or knees.
In the 1890s, innovations emerged from Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico, where musicians developed marimbas with longer double-row chromatic keyboards. These adaptations allowed four players to use two wooden mallets each to play in any key. Featuring wooden resonators mounted on permanent stands rather than being player-supported, these marimbas influenced international variations like orchestral marimbas.
