Instrumentos musicales Guane. Música precolombina de Santander, Colombia

Abstract

The finding of musical instruments in burials and caves in Santander have allowed the reconstruction of some features of Guane musical art. The group of artefacts studied is composed by eight cane quenas, one bone quena, one ceramic ocarina, one cane ocarina, a bone panpipes and one pair of maracas, these artefacts are presented as the only evidence in existence of musical practice Guane apart from the spanish writings, so they have been studied and recorded even though some have an advanced state of deterioration. The acoustic study and observation conducted with the approval of the institutions in which these artifacts lie, have provided information about organology, construction techniques and modal organization of the instruments, thereby diluting the notion of a chaotic musical culture to give way to the specific modal systems used by this prehispanic community.