Paraguay has accepted harp as its national musical instrument. It has progressed over the past 4 centuries into 36 string breed that is played with fingernails. Harpists can be found from the musical halls of the capital city to homes, throughout the countryside.
Cazaapa-mi, one rural town, bucolic, small and modest, reflects Paraguay itself; in Cazaapa-mi is a tiny and wooden general store, of 50 year old Don Benitez. He stands inside the store behind a glass counter and shake hands with everyone, at that time one can easily notice his long fingernails. They know that Don Benitez is more than a shopkeeper; he is a musician. When the shop closes, he goes to a back room, which holds his refrigerator and his large, ornate harp; this harp is rarely found in the world since it is played with fingernails instead of fingertips.
The Paraguayan harps are inspired from the Spanish harps of Jesuit missionaries who arrived in Paraguay around 400 years back. Jesuit missionaries educated the people of indigenous Paraguayans to play the harp until the 18th century, when they were recalled to Spain. Later on, many frustrated Paraguayan players destroyed their harps and returned to jungle to begin their new life. And finally, they started rebuilding the instruments by using only memory and local materials. Nearby, 90 years ago, the instruments head was rearranged and many strings were newly added. Paraguayan harps then become tool for soloists for one of the Paraguay’s most well known folk songs like‘(Pajaro Campana) The Bell Bird’.
At Arpa Roga, a harp school run by a family, the young musicians can be found in a private home in Asuncion. In the combination of Guarani and Spanish, the Arpa Roga translates to ‘Home of the Harp’. Paraguayan’s harp and their long fingernails play across the strings in a song like ‘Island of Transparency’. The song like ‘The Bell Bird’ and the ‘Island of Transparency’ are Paraguayan polkas, the most popular traditional music. Paraguayan Polka produces a unique harmony by adding multiple rhythms. When, the music resounds from the 36 strings of the harp then surely, it is the sound of Paraguay.
