Guatemala
Guatemalan

Rosewood, fiber
1965 CE
Length 114″ Wide 48″the narrow length is 13″  and height 39″.
Idiophones – Struck Idiophones – Marimbas

A custom-made Marimba ‘Mayalandia’ for Eduando Rafael Rivera by Master Guatemala Marimba-Maker Rosendo E. Barrios – #411.  This 8 ½ octave rosewood marimba marked with the initials REB for the factory of Rosendo E. Barrios, Guatemala City, was made by Rosendo E. Barrios (d. 1994) of the Barrios Marimba Factory, that was opened in 1904.  The Barrios Marimba Factory, in the Gerona Zone is now run by the brothers Ernesto and Mario Rosendo and was declared an “intangible heritage” of Guatemala.  Today, the factory is recognized by the Guatemala government as a living museum. 

This marimba was played by Eduando Rafael Rivera for the opening of Epcot Center in Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida.  Rivera had been playing on the instrument at the California Disneyland prior to Florida’s opening of Epcot Center.  He was then persuaded to move his family to Florida to perform at the Epcot Center.  The story of Epcot (which stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) goes back much further than its 1982 opening. According to Disney Tourist Blog, Walt Disney dreamt it up in 1966.

This Marimba ‘Mayalandia’ from Guatemala, Central America is made from rosewood that had been aged 45 + years before Rosendo E. Barrios, used the wood to make the instrument in 1965.  It includes sets of mallets and a custom stand for transporting.   

The earliest records about the marimba in Guatemalan culture reveals that it was played by the Maya in Mesoamerica since 1680.  It was played by men and used for ceremonial dancing, religious, and social celebrations.  In Guatemala, the word marimba means ‘the wood that sings.’  Today it is recognized as Guatemala’s national instrument.

A picture of this marimba being played by Rivera can also be found on the ‘Florida Memory – State Library and Archives of Florida website.’