Echoes of the Past: The Marimba Sencilla in Chiapas

The marimba is the ("traditional") instrument »par excellence« in the Mexican state of Chiapas. Nonetheless, there are two different kinds of marimba in Chiapas: on the one hand, the »marimba doble«--chromatic--, which is widely visible and, no doubt, the cultural symbol of the state; and, on the other hand, the »marimba sencilla«--diatonic--, whose status and visibility are almost non-existent. Whereas the »marimba doble« has found a niche within ethnomusicology research, the »marimba sencilla« has been utterly ignored, having been at times even considered to be extinct in the state. This research focuses on such diatonic marimba tradition. Based on the information gathered during several research stays in the area, it attempts to offer a general scope of the dissemination, as well as of the various sociocultural interrelations of this musical tradition in the state of Chiapas. At the same time, it aims to offer some groundwork for the development of future research which grant access to a deeper understanding of this musical tradition.