Evening journal., 1898-12-22
PUERTO RIcAN MUSIC.
The Guira Is the National Instrn-
ment and Is n Queer Ono,
Nus Popular.

Like all other Spanish-speaking peo-
pies, the Puerto Ricans are fond of
music. Every cafe has its orchestra,
for cafe could hardly do business
without one. Every main street dur
ing the latter part of the day has its
little itinerant band of guitar and vio-
lin players, and the warm nights are
made pleasant to the strollers along
the streets by the sotrnd of stringed in
.truments which floats from behind the
latticed, vine-clad screen of private resi-
dences.
Nearly all of the airs are pitched in
a minor key, which, even when intend
ed TO be joyous. contains a plant to
the Anglo-Saxon, fond Of Sousa's ro-
bust music. To one who has travelled
in Spanish lands the music of Puerto
Rico at first seems very familiar, but
the ear is not long in discovering some
thing novel in the accompaniment to
the melody.
1t sounds at first like the rhythmical
shuttle of feet upon a sanded floor, and
one might suppose some expert clog
dancer was nimbly stepping to the
music made by the violins and guitars.
The motion is almost too quick, too
complicated, for this, however, and it
is the deftness of fingers and not of
feet that produces it.
1t comes from the only musical in
strument native to the Westandies, the
"guira," which word is pronounced
"huir-r-ra" with a soft roll and twist
to the tongue only possible to the ma
tive. The guira is a gourd varying in
size in different instruments. On the
inverse curve of the gourd are cut holes
like those in the back of violin. On
the other side of the gourd opposite
the holes Is series of deep scratches.
The player balances the gourd in his
left hand, holding it lightly that none
of the resonance may be lost
With the right hand he rapidly rubs
this roughened side of the gourd with
two-tined steel fork. In the hands
OF novice this produces nothing but
harsh. disagreeable noise. In the
hands of native "guira" player Won
derful rhythmic sound comes from
this dried vegetable shell, a sound
which, in its place in the orchestra.
becomes music, and most certainly
gives splendid time and considerable
volume to the performance.
The players hand moves with light
ming rapidity. The steel fork at times
makes long sweeps the whole length
of the gourd and then again vibrates
with incredible swiftness over but an
inch or two of its surface. There seems
TO be a perfect method in its playing.
though no musical record is before the
player and it seems TO be a matter
merely Of his fancy and his ear as to
/ how his part shall harmonic with the
melody of the stringed instruments.
The guira is found in all the West
Indies, but seems specially popular in
Puerto Rico. The players generally
make their own instruments. and APP
parently become attached to them. for
as poor as these strolling players are,
they will hardly part with their guiras,
even when offered ten times their real
value. They are distinctly a Puerto
Rican curio, and, strange as it may
seem, Puerto Rico is probably more
destitute of tourists loot" than any
foreign country known TO the travel
ing American. The tourist who can
secure a guira may congratulate him
self, for it win be hard to get and is
the very thing which can be carried
away from the island as a souvenir
which is distinctly native and peculiar
kansas City Star.