By Fernanda Noriega
The first harps were built by indigenous people with the timbo tree. After being cut, the tree is easy to manipulate to create the desired musical effect, because the inner portion can be easily removed, and becomes a sounding board.
The timbo is a beautiful tree that reaches its extraordinary development due to its height and large foliage. The Indian inhabitants had some esoteric beliefs about this tree, such as that ghosts inhabited the timbo, affecting the ability of the performer to play an instrument as well as the musician intended. Ghosts or spirits have to do with characters from the past, ancestors, so playing the harp means giving voice to more than one.
Maestro Sergio Basurto, has a unique playing style. He establishes a perfect communion between technique and the heart, he brings out the voices of the past that emerge from timbo; Basurto achieves intense expressions of Latin American music.
Flamenco, for its part, is a singing style attributed to the gypsies of southern Spain, Andalusia in particular. Flamenco has developed from a mixture of techniques, styles and musical forms from various cultures that have mixed and coexisted, such as Islamic, Jewish, Indo-Pakistani, Byzantine, Roman, Greek, Celtic and African cultures. This musical style is characterized by great passion in the interpretation of the notes, which are not always written on paper. Instead, the notes spring from within the musician, who is carried away by the inspiration of the moment.
This Thursday, December 27, and for the next few weeks, a concert will be presented at the Santa Ana Theater. Sergio Basurto will perform a series of pieces that pay tribute to the entire history of both instruments and musical styles, revealing much about this deeply rooted music of Latin America. If you wish to attend, tickets are now on sale at Calle de Reloj 50A. During this holiday period, don’t miss the opportunity to attend the events that San Miguel organizes for you.
