| Traditional Honduran musical instruments include
drums, whistles and flutes made of clay and wood, and trumpets made of
bamboo and wood. The marimba, which is similar to the xylophone,
was used by indigenous people in some areas of Central America. Guitars,
mandolins and violins were introduced by the Spanish. Another popular musical
instrument is the caramba (a stringed instrument). Hondurans also
make musical instruments from conch shells and turtle shells.
Honduran literature includes a rich heritage
of legends and folklore and works devoted to the beauties of nature. Early
Honduran writers include José Trinidad Reyes (1797-1855), a playwright
and poet who founded the National University of Honduras and brought the
first printing press to Honduras. José Cecilio del Valle was a writer,
philosopher and political leader who wrote the declaration of Central American
independence from Spain in 1821. Some of the best-known modern Honduran
writers are Juan Molina, Marcos Reyes, Rafael H. Valle, Ramon Amaya-Amador
and Lidia Handal. Honduran writers usually publish their work in newspapers
before they publish books. Few Hondurans have enough money to buy books,
so the market for most books is very limited. |
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| There are many well-known painters from Honduras.
López Rodezno is a painter who founded the National School of Arts
and Crafts in Comayagüela. The School maintains a contemporary art
exhibit, which features murals by Rodezno. José Antonio Velásquez
(1906-83) is famous for his primitive-style paintings of Honduran village
life. His son and grandson have carried on his painting tradition. Velásquez
was awarded the National Prize for Art in 1955, and his work has achieved
international acclaim. Dilber Padilla is a popular painter who uses bright
colours in an impressionistic style. Cruz Bermudez is a Garífuna
artist who paints endangered species to publicize their plight.
Honduran handicrafts include brightly painted,
small, hollow animals made of wood or clay, as well as vases, baskets,
jewellery, leather goods, wood carvings and textiles. Mayan ceramics, as
well as Mayan marble carvings, have also been found at Copán and
in the Ulúa River valley. Concordia Park in Tegucigalpa honours
the Maya and contains a miniature reconstruction of a Mayan temple. |
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Did you know? |
| The
"rain of fish" is a popular theme in Honduran painting. It is based on
a phenomenon that occurred in the department of Yoro in north-central Honduras.
People there awoke one morning after a thunderstorm and found the ground
covered with fish. This phenomenon still occurs from time to time. |
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