Copper Cañyon area of Chihuahua Mexico
Tarahumara (Rarámuri) People

Yellow pine, metal strings
Mid-20th century
Length: 25 inches
Chordophones – Lutes

The violins of the Tarahumara (Rarámuri) people called raberi are found only in the Copper Cañyon area of Chihuahua Mexico.  The Spanish missionaries had introduced the violin to the native peoples of the Americas and the Tarahumara people adopted this instrument into their own music.  Their mythology blends pagan and Christian elements and their music and dance are highly integrated into their social life.  The Tarahumara tunes for dancing are known as matachín pieces (Dances of Devotion) and are accompanied by gourd rattles (sáuraka) and the raberi (violin). 

The Tarahumara raberi  are all hand-crafted, unvarnished, and made in a variety of different sizes and shapes: elongated, square, circular, wide, rounded, violin-shaped, etc.  They sometimes have animals heads carved above the pegbox as seen here, the head of a steer (cow).  This raberi is made from ash and pine, has metal violin strings (4) and is played with the horsehair bow.