Editing Marimba (section)

== History ==

===Ancient===
[[File:Women with Water-Pots, Listening to the Music of the Marimba, Sansa, and Pan’s Pipes.jpg|thumb|Marimba players in Africa]]
Instruments like the marimba are present throughout the entirety of [[Sub-Saharan Africa|sub-Saharan]] Africa.<ref>{{cite web|title=The origins of the Marimba:The birth of the marimba - Musical Instrument Guide - Yamaha Corporation|url=https://www.yamaha.com/en/musical_instrument_guide/marimba/structure/|access-date=2021-08-29|website=www.yamaha.com}}</ref> The instrument itself is most similar and shares its name with the marimbas of modern-day [[Angola]] and the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Nelo|first1=Manuel Neto Matos Osório|last2=Assunção Soares|first2=Armando|last3=Catarino|first3=Paula|date=2017|title=Etnomatemática da Marimba: instrumento etnográfico da provincia de Malanje em Angola|url=https://www.redalyc.org/journal/2740/274048277002/html/|journal=Revista Latinoamericana de Etnomatemática|language=pt|volume=10|issue=1|pages=6–20}}</ref> However, it is also similar to instruments that exist in [[West Africa]] such as the [[balafon]] of the [[Mandinka people]], known as [[gyil]] among the [[Gur people]]s in and around northern [[Ghana]] and [[Burkina Faso]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Jessup |first=Lynne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qsDOBwAAQBAJ&q=balafon&pg=PA6 |title=The Mandinka Balafon: An Introduction with Notation for Teaching |publisher=Art Path Press |year=1983 |isbn=978-0-916421-04-5 |pages=3}}</ref>

=== Mexico ===
The first known marimba dates back to 1545 in the Santa Lucía hacienda, in the municipality of [[Jiquipilas, Chiapas]]. According to documentation dated October 9, 1545, the encomendero Don Pedro Gentil de Bustamante and owner of the hacienda of Santa Lucia, describes in his chronicle a marimba in a celebration of Indians; and tells us the following:.<ref>{{cite web |title=Music of Chiapas: marimba, dance and tradition |url=https://musicaenmexico.com.mx/musica-mexicana/la-musica-tradicional-chiapas/ |access-date=December 16, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The marimba of Chiapas |date=23 May 2014 |url=https://www.sendamaya.com/marimba-de-chiapas/ |access-date=December 16, 2020}}</ref>

{{quote|“…said instrument is composed of eight slats of red wood, unequal in size, which are pierced together with cord and produce joyful echoes with boards of the macaguil (macagüil) stick (…) rows of boards tied to short orchestras (sic) flanged and stretched under said instrument a hole in the ground and glued with resin on the boards snake rattles that make musical vibrate with blows of two small sticks with black wax head one for each hand… …that this music is accompanied by a drum of animal skin (…)”<ref name="Fray Antonio_1">Chronicle of Don Pedro Gentil de Bustamante year of 1545.</ref>}}

It is believed that xylophones came to America by means of Africans who had been taken to Guatemala and Mexico, although there are also records in some Mayan pyramids found in Chiapas and Guatemala. The first documented mention of the marimba in Guatemala (marimba de tecomates), dates from November 13, 1680 during the inauguration celebrations of the Santa Iglesia Catedral in Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala.

The modern double keyboard marimba was created in 1892, in Chiapas, Mexico, thanks to the innovation of [[Corazón de Jesús Borras Moreno]], a native of the Municipality of [[Venustiano Carranza (Chiapas)|Venustiano Carranza]], Chiapas, Mexico. In 1897, the current model of marimba was played for the first time in the traditional park of the church of Señor del Pozo, in the same municipality, from that moment it has gone from being a native instrument to a concert instrument.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.muyinteresante.com.mx/preguntas-y-respuestas/322530/origen-marimba/ |title=Origin of the marimba, in muyinteresante.com.mx. |access-date=October 10, 2012 |archive-date=January 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140118124538/http://www.muyinteresante.com.mx/preguntas-y-respuestas/322530/origen-marimba/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> A five-octave instrument was first built, and later an 11-octave, huge instrument was built, which was played by 9 elements.

In Central America there are two versions of its origin. Some claim that it was brought by black slaves from Africa, while others consider it native, created by the Maya-quiche.<ref>{{cite news |title=La Marimba |url=https://guiascostarica.info/simbolos/marimba/ |date=June 27, 2013 |access-date=July 26, 2018 |journal=Guías Costa Rica |language=en-US}}</ref>

Historian David Vela says: “We also refer to the thesis of Dr. Castañeda Paganini on the possible invention of the marimba in Guatemala, by Africans brought as slaves in the sixteenth century; it is surprising however that the marimba appears here early among communities closed to their influence, among remote mountains, and is missing in the areas actually inhabited by the colored race.” what is undoubted is that the ingenuity of the local countries transformed the instrument to the point of making it their own.<ref>[http://www.deguate.com/artman/publish/hist_precolombina/Historia_de_la_Marimba_6488.shtml History of the marimba; deguate.com.]</ref>

Since there are records in Guatemala that in the middle of the 18th century, in the same city of Santiago de Guatemala (today Antigua Guatemala), the presbyter Joseph de Padilla developed a new version of the instrument (simple marimba), to which he extended the extension of the keyboard to 42 keys (first and only collective instrument in the world), he added a structure with 4 legs raising it from the ground, being able to play standing up.

In 1894 in Quetzaltenango, the master Sebastián Hurtado developed the first chromatic marimba or double keyboard marimba made of Hormigo wood (Plathymiscium dimorphandrum) giving it up to 6 musical scales. He inherited the marimba to his sons and they created the group Marimba Royal of the Hurtado brothers who in 1908 performed a concert in the city of Buffalo, New York, and thus introduced the marimba (with the contributions of Guatemala) in the United States, making it known to the world.

Being an instrument used in many countries of the Americas, on February 12, 2015, the Organization of American States [[Organization of American States|(OAS)]] declares the marimba “Cultural Heritage of the Americas”.

=== Central America ===
{{see also|Music of Guatemala#Marimba}}
[[File:The Marimba (1888).jpg|thumb|upright|"The Marimba" from "The Capitals of Spanish America" (1888)]]
The marimba is popular throughout [[Central America]], with its popularity spreading from southern Mexico to [[Costa Rica]]. The first historical account in Central America is from 1550 where enslaved Africans in [[Guatemala]] are reported playing it. By 1680 accounts of [[Maya peoples|Maya]] musicians using marimbas with [[gourd]] resonator were made in [[Guatemala]]. It became more widespread during the 18th and 19th centuries, as Maya and [[Ladino people|Ladino]] ensembles started using it on festivals. In 1821, the marimba was proclaimed the national instrument of Guatemala in its independence proclamation.<ref name=Garland>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ulLJUDmptFMC&pg=PA241 |title=The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music |chapter=The Marimbas of Guatemala |date=11 January 2013 |page=241|publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781136095702 }}</ref>

=== South America ===
{{See also|Music of Colombia#Pacific Region of Colombia|Music of Ecuador#Afro-Ecuadorian music}}

[[File:Manuel María Paz (watercolor 9040, 1853 CE).png|thumb|A watercolor of marimbas by [[Manuel María Paz]] from the Province of [[Barbacoas, Nariño|Barbacoas]] in [[Colombia]] (1853)]]

Marimba's second range of popularity in [[Latin America]] is in the [[Pacific coast]] of Colombia and Ecuador.<ref>{{cite web|title=UNESCO - Marimba music, traditional chants and dances from the Colombia South Pacific region and Esmeraldas Province of Ecuador|url=https://ich.unesco.org/en/lists|access-date=2021-08-29|website=ich.unesco.org}}</ref> The instruments were brought there via the [[African diaspora]] and their cultural significance has survived to the present day.<ref name="Kraul">{{cite web |last=Kraul |first=Chris |date=2010-11-30 |title=Colombia works to keep marimba traditions alive |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-nov-30-la-fg-colombia-marimba-20101130-story.html |access-date=2021-08-29 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US}}</ref> The [[Afro–Latin Americans|Afro-Latino]] communities that take part in preserving and playing it value its importance as a touchstone of their resilience.<ref>{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Catalina Maria |title=Rio Mira's 'Román Román' Tells A People's History Through The Marimba |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/altlatino/2017/07/07/535868502/rio-miras-rom-n-rom-n-tells-a-peoples-history-through-the-marimba |publisher=[[NPR]] |date=7 July 2017 |access-date=29 August 2021}}</ref>

[[File:Colombian Police (6904573755).jpg|thumb|[[Afro-Colombian]] youth playing the ''marimba de chonta'']]

In [[Colombia]] the most widespread marimba is the ''marimba de chonta'' ([[Bactris gasipaes|peach-palm]] marimba). Marimba music has been listed on [[UNESCO]] as an intangible part of Colombian culture.<ref>{{cite web|last=Alsema|first=Adriaan|date=2 December 2015|title=Marimba UNESCO|url=https://colombiareports.com/amp/unesco-declares-colombias-pacific-marimba-music-intangible-cultural-heritage/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-29|archive-date=28 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528195504/https://colombiareports.com/amp/unesco-declares-colombias-pacific-marimba-music-intangible-cultural-heritage/|website=Colombia Reports}}</ref> In recent times ''marimberos'' (marimba players) and the marimba genres as a whole have started to fade out in popularity.<ref name="Kraul"/> Nonetheless, the genre is still popular in the departments of [[Chocó Department|Chocó]] and [[Cauca Department|Cauca]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage|url=https://folklife.si.edu/Content/400.html?aspxerrorpath=/magazine/women-marimberas-of-colombia-ecuador&ved=2ahUKEwjbyPG5k9XyAhVjRzABHVbxBD4QFnoECBkQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3yCKyO3wga4_9pKwpymUFP|access-date=2021-08-29|website=folklife.si.edu}}</ref>

[[File:Esmeraldian (Afro-Ecuadorian) marimba.jpg|thumb|An example of the [[Afro-Ecuadorian]] ''marimba esmeraldeña'']]

In [[Ecuador]] the most widespread marimba is the ''marimba esmeraldeña'' ([[Esmeraldas, Ecuador|Esmeralda]] marimba).<ref name=":0" /> Marimbas are an important aspect of Afro-Ecuadorian culture: many religious ceremonies and songs are accompanied with marimba music along with festivals and dances.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=Marimba, importance in Ecuador|url=https://www.ecuador.com/culture/music/&ved=2ahUKEwj77KjBk9XyAhWFSzABHSJBCzgQFnoECCMQAQ&usg=AOvVaw33DvULyI7Ej3Z0dGzh_xgH|url-status=|website=www.ecuador.com}}{{deadlink|date=September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Marimba music and traditional songs and dances from the Colombian region of the South Pacific and the Ecuadorian province of Esmeraldas|access-date=28 May 2023 |url=https://www.unesco.org/tich4sd/en/colombiaecuador/marimba|url-status=live|website=[[UNESCO]]|archive-date=25 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925054203/https://www.unesco.org/tich4sd/en/colombiaecuador/marimba}}</ref> It is most popular in the province of Esmeraldas where in the 16th century [[Alonso de Illescas]], a [[Maroons|maroon]], found a [[Quilombo|maroon settlement]] near the area around modern day Esmeraldas. In that province, it evokes a sense of pride for the community in which years centuries marimba music has been prohibited after government encroachment upon the [[Esmeraldas Province|Esmeraldas province]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Marimba origin Ecuador|url=http://www.orijinculture.com/community/marimba-dance-freedom-ultimate-expression-historyculture-discrimination-ecuador-afrodescendants-latin-america-part-3/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-29|website=Orijin Culture|date=25 December 2014|archive-date=6 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206083115/http://www.orijinculture.com/community/marimba-dance-freedom-ultimate-expression-historyculture-discrimination-ecuador-afrodescendants-latin-america-part-3/ }}</ref>

=== Modern ===
[[File:MarimbaTimeOnFrenchmenMardiGras2009.JPG|thumb|A marimba player on the streets of [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]], during [[Mardi Gras in New Orleans|Mardi Gras]]]]
Marimbas have become widely popular around the world since it was being used throughout [[Africa]], [[Southeast Asia]], [[Europe]], [[North America]], [[South America]] and [[Central America]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Marimba {{!}} musical instrument|url=https://www.britannica.com/art/marimba|access-date=2021-08-29|website=Encyclopedia Britannica}}</ref>

In 1850, Mexican marimbist Manuel Bolán Cruz (1810–1863), modified the old bow marimba, by the wooden straight one, lengthening the legs so that the musicians could play in a standing mode, expanded the keyboard and replaced the gourd resonators by wooden boxes.

In 1892, Mexican musician {{ill|Corazón de Jesús Borras Moreno|es}} expanded the range of the marimba to include the [[chromatic scale]] by adding another row of sound bars, akin to black keys on the piano.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.noticiasnet.mx/portal/chiapas/fama/artes/99541-marimba-madera-que-tambien-cambia|title=La marimba, madera que también cambia|work=Noticiasnet|access-date=15 December 2013|archive-date=11 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311014439/http://noticiasnet.mx/portal/chiapas/fama/artes/99541-marimba-madera-que-tambien-cambia|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The name ''marimba'' was later applied to the orchestra instrument inspired by the Latin American model. In the United States, companies like [[J.C. Deagan, Inc.|J.C. Deagan]] and the [[Leedy Manufacturing Company]] adapted the Latin American instruments for use in Western music. Metal tubes were used as resonators, fine-tuned by rotating metal discs at the bottom; lowest note tubes were U-shaped. The marimbas were first used for light music and dance, such as [[vaudeville]] theater and comedy shows. [[Clair Omar Musser]] was a chief proponent of marimba in the United States at the time.

In 1940, the American composer [[Paul Creston]] wrote the first composition for solo marimba (''Concertino for Marimba and Orchestra'').<ref>{{cite web |title=Marimba |url=https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/display/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-1002250160 |access-date=2024-04-26 |website=Grove Music Online |date=2013 |doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.a2250160 |last1=Kite |first1=Rebecca }}</ref> French composer [[Darius Milhaud]] also helped introduce marimbas into [[Western classical music]] with his 1947 ''Concerto for Marimba and Vibraphone''. Four-mallet grip was employed to play [[chord (music)|chords]], enhancing interest for the instrument.<ref name="Vienna">{{cite web |title=Marimba > History |url=http://www.vsl.co.at/en/70/3196/3204/3209/5771.vsl |publisher=Vienna Symphonic Orchestra |access-date=30 September 2013 |archive-date=20 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130920063113/http://www.vsl.co.at/en/70/3196/3204/3209/5771.vsl |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the late 20th century, [[modernism (music)|modernist]] and [[contemporary classical music|contemporary]] composers found new ways to use marimba: notable examples include [[Leoš Janáček]] (''[[Jenufa]]''), [[Carl Orff]] (''[[Antigonae]]''), [[Karl Amadeus Hartmann]], [[Hans Werner Henze]] (''[[Elegy for Young Lovers]]''), [[Pierre Boulez]] (''[[Le marteau sans maître]]'') and [[Steve Reich]].