Marimba tradition

It is present in the joyous events of the ticos (Costa Ricans).  It is commonly played in religious activities, birthdays, weddings, and, of course, parties.  It “awakens the soul” of anyone who carefully listens to it.

The marimba:  part of the identity of Costa Rica, especially in Guanacaste.  It enriches folklore, traditions and culture.

Although the marimba is most commonly associated with Mexico or Central America, there are various theories about its origin.  The two main theories place the origin in two different continents. Probably the strongest theory indicates that slaves from Africa brought the marimba to the Americas.   The second strongest theory proposes that the indigenous Maya created the marimba in Mesoamerica.   Some other theories suggest the origin may be from Asia or the Amazon.

In Costa Rica the marimba came from Guatemala during the colonial time. The first document noting the presence of the marimba is dated 1785.   The document was found in the colonial church of Orosi, which was built in 1743 in the city of Cartago.

The marimba is a percussion instrument that produces sound primarily by the vibrations of its own body.   Such instruments are called idiophones.  The marimba produces sounds by striking the keys with a mallet.

The Art of Creating a Marimba:

The process of building and tuning a marimba requires specialized skills:  cabinet-making mastery to carefully select, transform and work the wood; musical knowledge and a “good” (precise) ear for tuning and distinguishing the different sounds.

This complex art requires tremendous time, dedication and knowledge.   Over the years, it has become harder and more expensive to build and acquire a marimba.  This is due to the lack of the special hard wood that is required to build the keys, and the small number of marimberos (persons with the skills to build and tune quality marimbas).   Thus fewer marimbistas (persons who play the marimba) have the opportunity to perform.

There are two types of marimbas:  the diatonic marimba  (or simple marimba), which has only one keyboard level, and the chromatic marimba which has a double keyboard.

The main parts of the marimba are:

Frame:  is the box that holds the keyboard.  It does not affect the sound of the marimba therefore the selection of the wood is based on aesthetics and durability.

Woods commonly used:  Cedro [Cedrela salvadorensis] and Nazareno [Peltogyne purpurea].

Keys:  are the different planks set in a series to make the keyboard.  The wood for the keys is selected carefully as it needs to be hard and sonorous.   Not all hard woods are suitable to build the keys.

Woods commonly used:  Caoba [Swietenia macrophylla], Cristóbal or Cachimbo [Platysmiscium pinnatum], and Bálsamo [Myroxylon balsamum].

Resonator or Resonance box:  is the box located under each key.  It amplifies the sound and provides a distinct vibration.  The vibration is produced by the “ombligo” or “belly button”.  There is a small hole at the bottom of each resonance box, fitted with the ombligo, which is made with a fine piece of pig’s gut and held in place by a ring of beeswax.

Woods commonly used: Cedro [Cedrela salvadorensis] and Ciprés [Cupressus lusitanica].

Mallets:   are the hammers for striking the keys.  There are different mallets used depending on the sounds desired.   To produce low sounds a soft and bigger head is used; to produce sharp sounds a hard and smaller head is required.  The handle of each mallet is made from wood.   The head is made from the sap of the Rubber tree.

Woods commonly used:   Guaitil [Genipa Americana] and Nazareno [Peltogyne purpurea].

The Marimba Forest: