B’itzma play the standard rock instruments: guitars, bass, drums, but also the marimba, the chirimia, a Mayan flute, and the turtle shell. This is Juan Jimenez. | Photo by Andi McDaniel
In Guatemala a majority of the population is Mayan Indian. For centuries they have been excluded from national political and economic life, but today they’re finding their voice in music. One Guatemala rock band called B’itzma (BEETZ-MAH) sings in an indigenous language called Mam. B’itzma, by the way, means “Harmony.” The band has a big following in Guatemala and in the US.
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