Southern New England Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Year 3 - Puerto Rican Musical Instruments
PhotographerPhotographed by
Graciela Quiñones-Rodriguez
(Puerto Rican)
Date1999; 2000-2001
Mediumslides
ClassificationsGraphics
Credit LineConnecticut Cultural Heritage Arts Program collections
CopyrightCopyright Held By Graciela Quiñones-Rodríguez
Object number2015.196.302.1-.7
DescriptionPhotographs of Puerto Rican musical instruments made during the apprenticeship with William Cumpiano and Graciela Quiñones-Rodriguez, 2000-2001
(.1) Front view of a bordonúa.
(.2) Detail of headstock of a cuatro, with a hummingbird inlay.
(.3) The fretboard and headpiece of a tiple.
(.4) Back view of a bordonúa carved in the shape of a cemi.
(.5) Detail of soundboard and bridge of a bordonúa.
(.6) Partial front view of a tiple, the first one made by Graciela Quiñones-Rodriguez.
2015.196.302.7: Slide showing title panel from the 1999 Mano a Mano: Puerto Rican Traditional Arts From Island To City exhibit
NotesSubject Note: These images show Puerto Rican musical instruments made during the Southern New England Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program Year 3, 2000-2001, when Bill Cumpiano taught instrument-making to apprentice Graciela Quiñones Rodriguez (although they had worked together for many years before that). During that apprenticeship, they built cuatros together, along with tiples and bordonuas, older forms of Puerto Rican stringed instruments. As part of the apprenticeship they built a cuatro on the basis of a photograph of an unusual form from the early 1900's, which has a bent wood body rather than a hollowed-out base. (.1) Front view of a bordonúa.
(.2) Detail of headstock of a cuatro, with a hummingbird inlay.
(.3) The fretboard and headpiece of a tiple.
(.4) Back view of a bordonúa carved in the shape of a cemi.
(.5) Detail of soundboard and bridge of a bordonúa.
(.6) Partial front view of a tiple, the first one made by Graciela Quiñones-Rodriguez.
2015.196.302.7: Slide showing title panel from the 1999 Mano a Mano: Puerto Rican Traditional Arts From Island To City exhibit
Biographical Note: William Cumpiano has been a renowned luthier since the 1970s, crafting guitars as well as his specialty, Puerto Rican stringed instruments such as the cuatro and the older forms tiple doliente and bordonua. He is one of the founders of the Puerto Rican Cuatro Project, an initiative that stimulated interest in, study of, and production of the cuatro, the iconic instrument of Puerto Rican musica tipica and the beloved music that the instrument expresses. In addition to creating sought-after instruments of the highest quality, he has organized workshops, festivals, performances, and lecture demonstrations that have brought Puerto Rican folk music to increased attention and new audiences. He taught apprentice Graciela Quiñones-Rodriguez to build cuatros, tiples, and bordonuas under the Southern New England Traditional Arts Program. Based in the Northampton, Massachusetts area, Bill has given several workshops in Greater Hartford, including instrument-making workshops given at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut under the auspices of the Trinity College Fine Arts Department and Hartford Center Church.
Biographical Note: Graciela Quiñones-Rodriguez is a Puerto Rican educator, social worker, artist and luthier who apprenticed with William Cumpiano (Easthampton MA) and has built cuatros, tiples, and bordonuas. Graciela is also a cuatrista and higüera (gourd) and santos carver. She served as an advisory committee and exhibiting artist and workshop leader for CCHAP’s three Puerto Rican projects, starting as a community scholar with Herencia Taina, CCHAP’s 1998 Taino exhibit project, researching the techniques of higüera preparation and decoration for use as household utensils, ornaments with Taino or political iconography, or musical instruments. She also worked as an artist-presenter for the Massachusetts Cultural Council summer institute on Puerto Rican cultural heritage for Springfield MA teachers. Graciela is a highly respected arts educator, woodcarver, and singer with the Connecticut Latin music group Tierra Mestiza; she is a CT Commission on the Arts Master Teaching Artist and Artists Fellowship winner. As part of the Southern New England Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program in Year 3 (2000-2001), she worked with master luthier Bill Cumpiano. Together they built cuatros, tiples, and bordonuas, older forms of Puerto Rican stringed instruments. As part of the apprenticeship they built a cuatro on the basis of a photograph of an unusual form from the early 1900's, which has a bent wood body rather than a hollowed-out base. They demonstrated their partnership work at the Lowell Folk Festival in 2000.
Additional materials exist in the CCHAP archive for these artists.
Cataloging Note: This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services MA-245929-OMS-20.
Status
Not on view
Graciela Quiñones-Rodriguez
2004 February 21
