The same image opens and closes this book. It shows Ismael Ledesma, a well-known harpist and Paraguayan composer, during his performance in Hamburg in 2011. Besides the place that Ledesma occupies in the music harp scene in Paraguay, the image shows him in profile, playing the harp, with his long hair that ends in a plait, wearing a black shirt with fine embroidery and using a headset microphone. This photograph illustrates the content of this book where the author promotes a discussion about aspects of traditions, ethnicity, modernity and musical practice in Paraguay, focussed on the history of harp and on a socio-political process that is part of the construct of concept of nation, ‘a term that refers to the country as a culturally produced entity with specific social, historical, and cultural values’ (p. 3).

Written in English, The Paraguayan Harp frequently uses some words in Spanish. However, still more fascinating and suggestive is the use of some expressions in Guaraní language, for it defines key concepts about identity and idiosyncrasy of Paraguayan culture. For instance, expressions such as paraguayidad or tekó are cited as part of ‘a socio-political project linking current cultural values to the Spanish conquest and colonial period during which Paraguayan culture was infused with a mixture of Iberian and Guaraní social customs, values, and beliefs’ (p. 3).

Organised in six chapters, plus a Conclusion and Appendix, the book informs readers about the world of harp in Paraguay; technical aspects and materials used in harp-making, the major competitions and festivals, musical genres and styles, repertoires, the relationship between popular harp and academic world, and the most important performers. From a historic and ethnographic approach, Colman researched into the transition from rural and traditional world – expressed as koyguá (farmers), which can also encompass another two concepts, ore poriahú (we the poor) and ñane ñéê (speaking Guaraní) (p. 27) – to the urban, cosmopolitan and modern aspects in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. His research continues until the official legitimation by the Paraguayan government in 2010, which declared the Paraguayan harp as symbol instrument of national culture (p. 85).

The subtitle From Colonial Transplant to National Emblem is perhaps a little ambitious. For instance, Chapter 6 is somewhat brief, and in just a few pages the author gives information about the arrival of the harp from Europe to Latin America, associated with the Conquest and Colonial period. Even the pages about the presence of the harp within the Jesuit missions – aspects that should include other regions from South America as well – are far too brief.

The notions of arpero popular (traditional harpist) and arpista profesional (professional harpist) are the core of the musical tradition in Paraguay. Arpero refers to musicians who represent the strongest link with traditional music, expressed by oral instruction and characterised as being ‘unsophisticated individual and nostalgic figures from the past’ (p. 58). On the other hand, arpista profesional refers to the status of a modern artist who is distinguished by professional musical labour in the cultural industry, based on different roles such as ‘arrangers, composers, performers, recording artists and harp instructors’ (p. 58). Designations such as folklore de proyección and música de inspiración folclórica are used as a specific kind of musical revival linked to standard genres such as polcas and guaranias. They all refer to collective musical practice denominated as conjunto, that includes harp and guitars, and promoted by radio, the recording industry and live performances. It is into the world of arpista profesional that the image of the male harp soloist emerges. Thus, only one woman is included as part of the Appendix, the arpista profesional Raquel Lebrón (p. 154).

Two names and one song entitled ‘Guyrá Campana’ (‘The Bell Bird’) are frequently cited along this book. The authors use the expressions ‘before and after’ Félix Pérez Cardozo (1908–1952) and ‘before and after’ Luis Bordón (1926–2006) (p. 21). Pérez Cardozo was the first Paraguayan harpist to achieve success in Argentina, especially in Buenos Aires, where he achieved international recognition for harp and Paraguayan music during the earliest decades of the twentieth century. His many contributions to the harp repertoire are contained in recordings, compositions and arrangements, such as his version of ‘Guyrá Campana’, where he developed new technical resources and effects such as bordoneado, tremolo and glissando. In addition, Cardozo contributed to some changes in harp-making with the Paraguayan luthier Epifanio López. On the other hand, Luis Bordón was responsible for the designation of the diatonic harp as the Paraguayan harp, and he was the first Paraguayan musician to give solo harp recitals of Paraguayan and Latina American traditional music, and the one who recorded the first album for harp that was produced in Brazil. The last point illustrates a singular feature of Paraguayan idiosyncrasy, the necessity of accepting as authentic the value of a musical instrument or artists only if they have reached success or recognition abroad before.

This book has plenty of images such as photographs of harps and performers, posters and some examples of Western traditional music notation that illustrate genres and techniques. Among the photographs, as well as the on the cover, I highlight Figure 6.1, showing the folkloric orchestra of Aristóbulo ‘Nonón’ Dominguez dated August 1927. As Bourdieu noted about the relationship between farmer and photograph, ‘by contrasts of knowledge and experience, It locates to each one in order to their lineage’ (Bourdieu Reference Bourdieu2003, p. 54). This photograph reveals key aspects about ethnicity and ideas of folklore. One can compare the character, attitude, presence and appearance of Dominguez in the middle of the image with the rest of musicians, some of whom barefoot and showing their musical instruments (p. 101).

In brief, this book offers a careful and well-documented view of local discourses on the harp in Paraguay with its most relevant exponents. Focused mainly on the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, there are limited references to the presence of harps in others countries of Latin America. For this reason it is necessary to mention other harps such as arpa llanera in Venezuela and Colombia and arpa andina in Peru, as the lack of reference to the them could cast doubt on the importance of nationalism, authenticity and traditional and popular music in the rest of Latin America.