Resumen

VILCHEZ FARIA, Jacqueline. Taliraai: Music, Gender and Kinship in the Wayuu Culture. Revista de Ciencias Humanas y Sociales [online]. 2003, vol.19, n.42, pp.9-25. ISSN 1012-1587.

In this research the connection between Music as a symbolical construction and the whole structural cultural scheme is studied through an anthropological study comprising interviews as well as ethnological observation aimed at analysing the "Taliraai" (a kind of musical friction bow) in relation to its practices and the meaning and association of this tool with such aspects ofWayúu´s life as family and reproductive strategies. It is based on a consideration of music as a symbolic construction in close relationship with other cultural aspects according to the theoretical proposals of Merriam (1964), Dournon (1981), Díaz Viana (1993), López-Sanz (1993), Abati (1994), Bohm (1998), Grof (1999) y Vílchez Faría (1998, 2000, 2001). The author concludes that theTaliraai is a symbol and a vehicle of great cultural value in the wayuu world.

Palabras clave : Taliraai; musical bow; music; musical instruments; kinship; anthropology of music.