Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-03-15
MUSIC IN PORTO RICO
The National Instrument, the Guir'
10 Simple but Ingenious.

The National notrument, tine Gutr0S
IL Simple but Ingenious.
Like all other Spanish-speaking peo-
pies, the Porto Ricans are fond Of mu-
sic. Every cafe has its orchestra, for
q cafe could hardly do business without
one. Every main street during the lat.
ter part of the day has its little timer.
ant band Of guitar and violin players,
and the warm nights are made pleasant
to the strollers along the streets by the
sound Of stringed instruments which
floats from behind the latticed, vine
clad screen Of private residences.
Nearly all of the airs are pitched In
q minor key, which, even when intend
ed to be joyous. contains a plaint to the
Angle-Saxon fond of Sousa's robust
music. To one who has travelled in
Spanish lands the music Of Porto RicG
at first seems very familiar, but the ear
is not long in discovering something
novel in the accompaniment to tht
melody.
1t sounds at first like the rhythmical
shuttle Of feet upon 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, toe
complicated. for this, however. and 1t
is the deftness Of fingers. and not feet
which produces it.
1t comes from the only musical In
strument native to the West Indies. the
"guira," which word is pronounced
"huir-r-a," with a soft roll and twist to
the tongue only possible to the native
The ''guira" is a gourd varying in size
in different instruments. On the in
verse curve Of the gourd are cut Sits
like those in the top 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
q two-tined steel fork. In the hands OF
a novice this produces nothing but a
harsh, disagreeable noise. In the hands
of a native ''guira" player a wonderful
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 per
formance.
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
purely 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 Wes,
Indies, but seems especially popular in
Porto Rico. The players generally make
their own instruments, and apparently
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 Porto Rican curiO, and
strange as 1t may seem, Porto Rico is
probably more destitute Of tourists
loot" than any foreign country known
to the travelling American. The tourist
who can secure a guira may congratu-
late himself, for 1t will be hard to get.
and is the very thing which can be car
ried away from the island as a SOU
venir which is distinctly native and
peculiar.-Kansas City Star.