How it began
The güira belongs to a family of Caribbean scrapers that includes the gourd güiro of Cuba and Puerto Rico, the Cuban metal guayo and the Haitian graj. The sources consulted do not give a firm date or maker for the metal Dominican form, and its early history is not well documented.
Its rise is tied to merengue. In merengue tipico, the accordion-led style of the Dominican countryside, the güira and the tambora drum together supply the rhythm. When Rafael Trujillo took power in 1930 he made merengue a national emblem, and the güira went with it into the national music.
How it works
A güira is a sheet of thin steel rolled into an open tube about 33 centimeters long, with a handle on one side. The surface is covered with small raised bumps. A traditional maker punches these dimples by hand with a hammer and nail, working the sheet over a tree stump and a wood block, without piercing the metal all the way through.
The player holds the handle in one hand and brushes a stiff scraper across the bumps with the other. The scraper is often a metal-tined comb. The usual pattern is a steady stroke on the beat with quick strokes leading into it, which gives a galloping feel. Its job is to drive the tempo, much as a hi-hat or maracas would. Players change the tone by damping the tube with the holding hand. The metal body gives a brighter, more cutting sound than a gourd güiro.
How it spread
The güira is thought to be the most widespread instrument in the Dominican Republic. It is standard in merengue at tempos from the slower pambiche to very fast merengue tipico, and in bachata. It has also been taken up abroad. In Colombia it has replaced the wooden guacharaca in modern vallenato, especially in large live shows, and many Colombian dance bands use it for cumbia. Makers also work in the Dominican diaspora, including in New York City.
