Banco Marímbula (Marímbula Bench) 

2012 – 2014

 

 

Marímbula Bench (Turquoise) [2012] and Marímbula Bench (Yellow) [2014] are a new breed of musical instruments that assume the shape of a public square bench. These pieces were created using the keys of an old Victrola from 1957 and inspired by the sound and homemade aesthetics of an old Caribbean musical instrument -now in disuse- called the marímbula. The marimbula is quiet archaic bass instrument used in the beginnings of salsa and son music, of African origins. The idea of placing a marímbula within a wood bench is to invite the public to experiment with the instrument and play collectively. The ideal setting for the work would be to make a public square of marimbula benches, where the public space is constructed by the melody of the benches played collectively.