Living in the southwest highlands of Guatemala are the best preserved of the Mayan culture. It was here that William Cameron Townsend, founder of Wycliffe Bible Translators, received his vision to translate the scriptures into indigenous languages. As he was sharing the gospel with one of the Cakchiquel speaking people, the Mayan man responded, “If God loves us so much, why does he not speak to us in our own language?”
It is now more than 500 years since the Spanish conquered the land, and with this expansion the Mayan culture has become politically, economically, and socially oppressed. The land belongs to a long line of wealthy Spanish descent, and the Mayan have become indentured servants. Spanish has become the predominant language, although many women and children still only speak their native language.
After numerous trips to Guatemala , although I have not found worship music which uses their Cakchiquel language, I have found wonderful expressions of worship using some of their traditional worship forms. The marimba has become their major heart sound even though it is not historically indigenous.
Other common acoustic instruments are the upright bass, mandolin, guitar, flute, tambourine, and various other rhythm instruments. Electronic music has also been added to that which is commonly heard, bringing with it the electric keyboard, guitar, bass, and drums.
The melodic expressions often contain the greatest reserve of their musical heritage along with the nasal quality of much of their singing, especially among the girls and women.
In San Lucas Toliman, 400 Mayan children gather every Wednesday morning to offer their worship. These are the school children of the San Lucas Parish. They fill the 500 year old church with their amazing voices and beautiful music. It was a delight to be able to capture this as I was caught up in their worship.
