 Puerto Rican güiro on display in theMusical Instrument Museum ofPhoenix | |
| Percussion instrument | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Güira, rascador, güícharo (Puerto Rican, made from plastic), candungo, carracho, rayo |
| Classification | Idiophone, can be made from wood, gourd, metal, plastic or fiberglass |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 112.23 (Scrapedidiophone, vessel) |
| Playing range | |
| Speed of scrape produces some variation | |
| Related instruments | |
| Güira,guayo,guacharaca,reco-reco,quijada,washboard,vest frottoir | |
Thegüiro (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈɡwiɾo]) is apercussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollowgourd with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a stick or tines (see photo) along the notches to produce a zipper-likeratchet sound.
The güiro is commonly used in Cuban, Puerto Rican, and other forms of Latin American music, and plays a key role in the typical rhythm section of important genres likeson,trova andsalsa. Playing the güiro usually requires both long and short sounds, made by scraping up and down in long or short strokes.[1]
The güiro, like themaracas, is often played by a singer. It is closely related to the Cubanguayo, Dominicangüira, and Haitian graj which are made of metal. Other instruments similar to the güiro are the Colombianguacharaca, the Brazilianreco-reco, the Cabo Verdeanferrinho, thequijada (cow jawbone) and the frottoir (French) or fwotwa (French Creole) (washboard).[1]
In theArawakan language, a language of the indigenous people of Latin America and spread throughout the Caribbean spoken by groups such as theTaíno, güiro referred to fruit of thegüira and an instrument made from fruit of the güira.[2]
The güiro is a notched, hollowed-out gourd.[3] Often, thecalabash gourd is used.[4] The güiro is made by carving parallel circular stripes along the shorter section of the elongated gourd. Today, many güiros are made of wood or fiberglass.[5]
The güiro was adapted from an instrument which originated inSouth America. TheAztecs produced an early cousin to the güiro, called theomitzicahuastli, which was created from a small bone with serrated notches and was played in the same manner as the güiro.[6] TheTaíno people of the Caribbean have been credited with the origins of the güiro.[7] The Taínos of Dominican Republic, Cuba and Puerto Rico developed thegüajey, a long gourd or animal bone with notches, an antecedent of the modern day güiro.[8]Alternatively, the güiro is also believed to have origins in Africa and to have been brought over to Latin American and the Caribbean by African slaves.[9] Blench (2009) suggests a connection with the scrapedidiophones ofCameroon and other regions of West and Central Africa (seelist of musical instruments of Cameroon).[10] TheBerom people of central Nigeria also have scraper or guiro-like instrument calledgwák orgwàshák.[11]
Across Latin America, the Caribbean, the güiro can be found in a variety of traditional, folk dance music and used in dance ensembles and religious festivals.[5] In the Yucatán Peninsula, the güiro is used in two Mayan dances, themayapax and thejarana.[7] In Cuba, the güiro is used in the genredanzón.[7] In Puerto Rico, the güiro often associated with the music of thejíbaro and is used in the musical genres of theplena, theseis, and thedanza.[8][12] In the Caribbean coast, the güiro was used in traditional, folk dancecumbia music and is still used in modern cumbia music.[7] In Panama, the güiro can be found in folk dances such as themerjorana and cumbia.[5]
The güiro is used in classical music both to add Latin American flavor, and also purely for its instrumental qualities.
Examples of compositions including a güiro areUirapuru byHeitor Villa-Lobos (though the score specifiesreco-reco),Latin-American Symphonette byMorton Gould andThe Rite of Spring(Le Sacre du printemps) byStravinsky.[13]
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