Musical Instruments

“Plants and animals make music,” observes Diomedes Izquierda Mesía, an Arhuaco elder. “When it rains, or when there is wind, the plants are making music. Birds also have fiestas, they make music. The river makes music, too.” This music accompanies, celebrates, and helps to sustain all of life. 
  
Shells can produce a powerful sound (see video) that channels the ocean. The ocean is thought of as the Mother, the origin of creation. The examples in this vitrine are faithful replications of real shells in ceramic, realistically modeled inside and out (see X-rays below). The bird ocarinas, meanwhile, sing from the sky. These ancient musical instruments are capable of producing different sounds, scales, and tones. You can hear some of their voices in these galleries. Together with frogs, insects, monkeys, and other animals, their music attends the different times of day.