LP at the Smithsonian Institution
Washington D.C.

LP at the Smithsonian Institution

LP was proud to be part of an exhibit organized by the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Latino Initiatives. Entitled "Ritmos de Identidad," (Rhythm of Identity) the exhibition ran from February to August 2000. It included Fernando Ortiz's Legacy & the Dr. & Mrs. Joseph H. Howard Family Collection of Percussion Instruments. The show celebrated both the work of researcher Fernando Ortiz and the vast percussion collection of the Howard family.

Fernando Ortiz (1881-1969) was a Cuban anthropologist and social justice advocate who published extensively in the field of Afro-Caribbean folklore and music. Dr. Joseph H. Howard (1912-1994) was a Californian of African, European, and East Indian ancestry, who scoured the world for instruments meeting his criteria of historical, cultural, and aesthetic significance.

On display from the Howard Family Collection are over 150 sacred and secular instruments from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas. Visitors can see "found objects" employed as musical instruments - a hoe blade and jaw bone, for example - alongside artifacts featuring complex strung heads and tuning mechanisms. The Howard collection serves as a perfect adjunct to Fernando Ortiz's work, offering a visible and tactile map of the travels of African culture across land and sea.

LP drums and hand percussion stood proud and held their own among the indigenous instruments. In fact, many early attendees have remarked on the fascinating juxtaposition of ancient drums, odd shaped guiros and shakers with fully 24 of their modern LP instruments.

The irony of all this is not lost on LP Founder Martin Cohen. When he began hand shaping bells, the market was limited to fragile instruments such as those populating the Howard Collection. Cohen resolved that LP's mission would be to provide a range of durable instruments with authentic sounds. In doing so, he has helped preserve endangered species of folkloric instruments such as the ones on display!

Indeed, the presence of LP at the Smithsonian served as a reminder of the respect the company has earned in the field of Latin music.

The mandate of the Smithsonian Center for Latino Initiatives is to promote Latino research in areas of music, visual arts, culture, and science. This exhibit was part of the Center's five-year national program on Latin music.

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