Of photographs, documentaries, films and videos
produced or sponsored by our Center...
The etymology of the bordonúa: challenges in the study of our heritage
Luthier/researcher William Cumpiano shares his working notes gathered during a 25-year, in-depth study of the musical and musician-craft traditions of our native chordophones—a work done in conjunction with researcher Juan Sotomayor Pérez and the brilliant, but recently deceased historian Myriam Fuentes Linero. The focus of this talk will be descriptive and etymological aspects of the enigmatic native chordophone—or rather, the multitude of different chordophones that throughout our history have been known by the name bordonúa.
We are going to build a Puerto Rican tiple
a video-manual of the complete process, step by step
Bájelo pulsando aquí
Bájelo pulsando aquí
Bájelo pulsando aquí
Bájelo pulsando aquí
Bájelo pulsando aquí
This new contribution from our Centro-Casa Paoli was edited by filmmaker Wilfredo Echevarría. The narration was by luthier William R. Cumpiano and production was by Néstor Murray-Irizarry. The digital video-manual explains, step by step, the entire process for the manufacture of a five-string Puerto Rican tiple douliente.
Many researchers consider the tiple to be our first musical instrument created in Puerto Rico. The tiple doliente is one of the various types of traditional Puerto Rican musical instruments, which, along with the bordonúa, the cuatro, the tres, the güiro, the guitar and the marímbula, are a fundamental part, in the various regions of the country, of a popular-folkloric ensemble or orchestra.
In order to facilitate its use, the video manual is divided into a sequence of five units, available separately:
· Introduction and manufacture of the sound box
· Manufacturing and installing the arm
· Manufacturing and installing the bridge and the cover
· Application of the finish
· Fretting and stringing of the treble.
This great innovative effort is done with the good intention of providing those interested with a new virtual modality that can be used for the construction of the instrument from a space in their own home or workshop, using a minimum of tools and small machinery. We remind you that it is very important to avoid accidents with the use of tools or equipment. Your safety is very important for everyone . We hope to continue, if funds allow, editing videos on similar topics and purposes. We always appreciate your comments and recommendations:
This project was sponsored by the Joint Special Commission on Legislative Funds for Community Impact, the Cuatro Project, the Flamboyán Fund for the Arts, the Puerto Rican Foundation for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Society of Friends of the Centro-Casa Paoli.
Where do I get the materials?
Segment one describes various sources for the materials required to follow the steps in the video manual. But if you find it difficult or impossible to obtain not only materials of acceptable quality, but also the hardware and accessories necessary to complete the project, our Center has a limited number of kits of all the required materials, which can be sent to you by mail.
To order the set of materials at a cost of $150, please contact william@cumpiano.com , where you will receive shipping and payment information.
You can find a copy of the required plan with the measurements and outline of the templates required for the project by downloading the PDF file by clicking on the icon immediately below, and take it to a copy shop to print it at full size OR write a request to william@cumpiano.com and request a rolled copy by mail at a cost of $30.
Tiple plan
Click on the [icon
Kit of materials available $150. Order to: william@cumpiano.com
Rescue from oblivion
of Caribbean musical instruments
A lecture about the efforts to rescue from oblivion the forgotten instruments of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean,
Presented by William Cumpiano, artisan and researcher, director of the William R. Cumpiano Art Workshop of the CIFPR at Casa Paoli.
Antonio Paoli:
King of tenors and tenor of kings
Watch the documentary on the life and work of Antonio Paoli , sponsored by Casa Paoli and the Puerto Rican Institute of Culture, made in 1991 and digitized from an abandoned cassette.
The wonder of inimitable singing:
The Creole décimas of Luis Llorens Torres
Video of the presentation conference of the new book The wonder of inimitable song, written by Felix Iturregui Córdoba. The event took place at the headquarters of the Luis Muñoz Marín Foundation in November 2022. The presentation was made by the Director of the Foundation, Dr. Manuel Nuñez Negrón, concluding with words by the author of the book, Felix Iturregui Córdoba.
La dulce canción del
Tiple puertorriqueño
Para satisfacer la intensa curiosidad popular, aparece hoy un nuevo video documental, auspiciado entre otros por el Centro de Investigacion Folklorica de Puerto Rico y la Fundacion Flamboyan, el cual resume los orígenes, la historia, la música y la construcción de nuestro tiple puertorriqueño, llamado La Dulce Canción del Tiple. Basado en las investigaciones de Juan Sotomayor, Juan Reyes Zamora, Vicente Valentín, Juan Montalvo Cedeño y otros, la obra incluye la procedencia histórica del vocablo “tiple”; como nacen los instrumentos sopranos en la música; los instrumentos “tiples” en España y en nuestro hemisferio; cómo surge el tiple en Puerto Rico; el rol de nuestro tiple en la música tradicional y popular de la isla; cómo se fabricaban pequeños instrumentos de cuerda en los campos y la obra termina con una secuencia de ilustraciones que siguen la construcción de un tiple en un moderno taller artesanal—paso por paso, desde un tablón hasta la aplicación final de sus cuerdas. Mostrado al público por WIPR-TV en noviembre de 2021
Julio Micheli
Vistazo de la vida y obra del artista puertorriqueño Julio Micheli
Señales en Casa Paoli
Un recorrido videográfico de la exhibición en la Casa Paoli de la exposición SEÑALES de obras del artista puertorriqueño Julio Micheli