Taíno Music
📍Aytí/Kiskéya (Haiti/Dominican Republic)
Play, sing, and groove to Taíno music of the past and present.
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Discover Taíno instruments
These Taíno instruments shape the rhythms we know today.
Click on the images to learn more!
The amaráka (maraca), a ceremonial instrument of the Taíno, produces a rhythmic rattle that is used to connect with the spirit world. Its lively sound continues to influence diverse music genres, from Latin to pop.
amaráka
Can you recognize the güiro’s distinctive rasp? This iconic instrument, made from a hollow gourd and played by scraping its ridged surface, is central to Afro-Cuban and Latin rhythms.
güiro
Click and drag to rotate the 3D mayowakán.
Mayowakán
The mayowakán, a cylindrical slit drum, holds significant social, religious, and political importance in Taíno life. Its deep tones play a key role in sacred ceremonies, helping to preserve traditions and pass knowledge to future generations.
Bring the mayowakán to life!
Did you know? The mayowakán was used in battle to coordinate attacks.
Scan the QR code with your device’s camera to see the mayowakán in augmented reality (AR).
Give and receive the gift of song
Enjoy performances by Taíno artists Irka Mateo and Ra Ruiz León (“Jikotea Niaku’no”). Their songs call for unity among Taíno people as an act of colonial resistance, while also celebrating the rich diversity of the Taíno community and honoring queer identity alongside a mixed heritage of Indigenous, African, and Spanish ancestry.
The Taíno Song Keepers
The Song Keepers is a free program for members of the Sacred Taíno Healing community. It preserves and shares Afro-Taíno songs that have been passed down in rural areas of Kiskéya for centuries.
Experience the Taíno Song Keepers
The song “Anacaona” is important in ceremonies of the 21 Divisions, a spiritual tradition in Kiskéya that blends Indigenous, African, and Catholic beliefs. It honors Anacaona, a kasíke. Today, she is honored as an ancestral spirit, guide, and healer.
Explore more Taíno-influenced rhythms
Bomba: a musical genre influenced by Taíno culture
bomba
Bomba reflects Puerto Rico's diverse heritage, blending Taíno instruments, European dance elements, and West African drumming and dance traditions.
Ooo, can you feel those rhythms calling? 🎶✨They got me twirling from the tops of my antennae to the tips of my toes!
