Migdonio Rivas Ríos from Colombia’s Pacific Coast constructs percussion instruments for chirimía ensembles using local materials and techniques. As synthetic materials become more pervasive, he fears that the traditions of his craft may be lost.
This footage was shot as part of the research and preparation for the 2011 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Migdonio Rivas Ríos was among the 100+ Colombian artists who participated in the Festival. For more information about him and the other artists of the Pacific Tropical Rainforest region, click here.
