Timple — The Sound of the Canaries

The Timple is the national instrument of the Canary Islands — a small, five-string guitar with a distinctive, bright, percussive sound that instantly conjures images of fiestas, romerías, and beach evenings.

The instrument resembles a ukulele but has a rounded back (like a lute) and a shorter neck. Traditionally built from mulberry wood, with a top made of Canarian pine. The Timple has five strings, traditionally all tuned to the same octave — creating the characteristic "twinkling" sound.

The role of the Timple in Canarian culture:

• Folklore: The Timple accompanies traditional songs (Folías, Isas, Malagueñas) and dances at every romería and fiesta
• Parrandas: Spontaneous street music groups that move from bar to bar with Timple, Bandurria (mandolin), and guitar — especially at Christmas and Carnival
• Modern Interpretation: Musicians like Benito Cabrera and Germán López have introduced the Timple into jazz, classical, and world music. Cabrera's album "Mestisay" is a milestone in Canarian music
• Grupo Taburiente: The legendary band from La Palma combines Timple with political lyrics — the "Canarian bards," comparable to the Catalan Nova Cançó artists

If you want to buy a Timple: The Timple workshops in Teguise (Lanzarote) are the most renowned. Antonio Lemes Hernández and his family have been crafting handmade instruments for generations. A good Timple costs between 200 and 800 €. At the Casa-Museo del Timple in Teguise (Lanzarote), you can experience the history of the instrument and see and hear various models.

Silbo Gomero — The Whistling Language

Not a musical instrument, but an acoustic world wonder: The Silbo Gomero is a complete whistling language that allows the inhabitants of La Gomera to communicate across deep ravines — over distances of up to 5 kilometers. The language was developed by the Guanches and transferred to Castilian after the Spanish conquest. Since 2009, Silbo Gomero has been a UNESCO World Heritage and is taught in schools on La Gomera. Some restaurants on La Gomera offer demonstrations — an absolutely unique experience.