Takuapu
The name is given to a musical percussive instrument: Takuapu ( IPA: / ta kwa 'pu / ), comes from the american originary peoples of the guaranis group. The original denomination compresses two guarani terms: Takua (a bamboo canes gender), and Pu (a sonorous fact). This idiophone of direct hit could be considered in the level of Individual Percussion Tubes, the 1.11.231 at the classification Hornbostel-Sachs for musical instruments. Takuapu is a "rhythm tube", elements that are also named as "sticks of rhythm". It delivers a deep sound when is beaten against the soil. The cane is taken in the middle part and allowed to fell, its deep sound is hearable from far away.
In the construction of a Takuapu, it's being occupied a piece of bamboo cane with a length like two meters, as well with a diameter of 0.20 and 0.30 m. The varieties used are the takuara ( Guadua angustifolia ), and takuarusu ( Guadua trinii ). The chosen cane segment is freed of the inner apical and intermediate wood partitions, and is kept the partition in the lower end. This produces a hollow tube closed at the basal end, this point is hit on the floor by dropping the instrument vertically. When performances of takuapus are run on dirt floors, sometimes is placed a slab or board on the floor, to increase the sound volume, and even to modify the quality of the instruments tones. Side holes often are made in the construction of tube, to modify its sound. With the inside addition of a handful of pebbles, the instrument also is added with the musicality of a rattle.
The instrument was originally only performed by women. And is provided with a clear symbolism regarding sexual union and fertilization. The Takuapu is associated as a trait, a part in ceremonies with dances and songs, ceremonies arranged in patterns of facts and formulas. In these ritual events of Guarani religion, women are backing the singing of the verses with takuapus, men do the Mbaraka ( maracas ). The pace of takuaras gives the reason for rhythm marking, in the balancing of bodies dancing a choreography of beauty and empowering. Maintaining of binding joy in celebrating healthy living conditions on earth. The female group presence is essential in implementing the takuapus at collective ceremonies.
The expanded use of this instrument is recorded in other South American extensions, further north of guarani territory, in surveys that ethnological fieldwork took time ago. In others ethnical interpretations, there is no such distintion for women or men, as said, in the musical performance of Sticks of Rhythm. Similarly, in Trinidad and Tobago, are found the pace bands, customarily formed by men, in the musical bumps on the floor while they march, with the "Tamboos Bamboos". Currently, in the area of ethnical groups within the influence Guarani, which in Argentina comprises several provincial territories, the Argentine band Alba Llaleq, native folks from Formosa Province, as representatives of regional music Toba-Guarani, have given prominence to the Takuapu in the interpretation of these ethnical singing voices.
See also
Sources and external links
- Alva Llaleq, playing with takuapus an old Guarani song; video 1'24": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yrEbCG0RqY
- Short history of steel drums: http://www.isu.edu/stdorg/special/csdb/history.html
- Ruben Perez Bugallo (in Castilian): The sacred takuaras mbyá women; Scripta Ethnológica, Buenos Aires, 2003; Rail Redalyc: http://redalyc.uaemex.mx/pdf/148/14802504.pdf
- Raul Varela: OriginaryPeoples.Com (in Castilian): http://pueblosoriginarios.com/sur/chaco/kaiowa/maiz.html
- This item was made on the basis of the article Takuapú in Spanish language at WikipediA.