Chirimía (sometimes chirisuya in Peru) is a Spanish term for a type of woodwind instrument similar to an

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double-reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common type of oboe, the soprano oboe pitched in C, ...

. The chirimía is a member of the

shawm The shawm () is a Bore (wind instruments)#Conical bore, conical bore, double-reed woodwind instrument made in Europe from the 13th or possibly 12th century to the present day. It achieved its peak of popularity during the medieval and Renaissanc ...

family of double-reed instruments, introduced to North, Central and South America in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries by the Spanish clergy.

Distribution

Usage of the chirimía varies widely across Iberomerica and Iberia itself, with the instrument being extinct in some areas, but a living tradition in others. The chirimía and drum are used to accompany religious processions and annual commemorative dance-dramas in many remote areas of Latin America, including Jacaltenango,

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

. The music produced is quite unique and varies from one region to another. This tradition is an adaptation of the pre-Columbian practice of accompanying religious ceremonies and processions with drums, flutes, and whistles. There are two types of chirimías in Guatemala, a small one and a large one. The size of the holes and their location determine the sound of the small or large chirimías. In some parts of Latin America, as in Jacaltenango, small and large chirimías are played together with small and large drums. The regular chirimía has 10 holes, while the Guatemalan and Mexican chirimía has 6 to 10 holes. Although the outward appearance of the chirimías and the number and size of holes vary regionally throughout Mexico and Guatemala, these chirimías are all double-reeded wooden instruments. Some of the chirimías have a conical bore, while others have a cylindrical bore. The types of reeds and manner in which they are kept in place also vary. The Jakaltek chirimía, called su’ in the Jakaltek language, is very similar to the chirimías of central and southern Mexico. The Jakaltek chirimía is 34.5 cm long, without the double-reed in place. The wooden part is 27 centimeters long and has a cylindrical bore, with 6 vertical holes, and 2 lateral holes. The mouthpiece consists of a staple, a tapered metal cylinder, that is wrapped with string and topped with a wooden pirouette. The bulbous bottom portion of the staple fits snugly into the wooden portion of the instrument, but can be easily removed for cleaning.Carol Ventura. "La Chirimía de los mayas-jakaltekos de Guatemala", in Tradiciones de Guatemala, Ethnomusicología en Guatemala, Universidad de San Carlos, Guatemala, 2006: 63-73. ChirimiaJacaltenango

Extinct

* Nuevo Leon and

Tamaulipas Tamaulipas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas, is a state in Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 43 municipalities. It is located in nor ...

: disappeared by the mid-19th century. - Access date: 9 May 2011 File:Cantigas de Santa Maria, Musician's Codex, page Bl-2 350R cropped.jpg, 1280, Iberian Peninsula. Type of shawm unlabeled in the

Cantigas de Santa Maria The ''Cantigas de Santa Maria'' (, ; "Canticles of Holy Mary") are 420 poems with musical notation, written in the medieval Galician-Portuguese language during the reign of Alfonso X of Castile, Alfonso X of Castile ''El Sabio'' (1221–1284). T ...

. Has been called a possible musette, and has the same bulbous bell as the Guatemalan chirimia. File:Cantigas de Santa Maria, Musician's Codex, page Bl-2 276V.jpg, 1280, Iberian Peninsula. Type of shawm unlabeled in the Cantigas de Santa Maria. Has been called a possible musette, and has the same bulbous bell as the Guatemalan chirimia. File:Cantiga 330 Cantigas de santa maria.jpg, 1280, Iberian Peninsula. Type of shawm unlabeled in the Cantigas de Santa Maria. Has been called a possible musette, and has the same bulbous bell as the Guatemalan chirimia.

References

External links

Video - Mexican chirimía oboe
at YouTube {{Authority control Oboes Guatemalan musical instruments Mexican musical instruments Early musical instruments

Distribution

Extinct

See also

References

Further reading

External links