Traditional Güiro

A traditional güiro is made from gourd-like fruit of the higüero tree (Crescentia cujete) that is native to the region. This musical instrument, common throughout the Caribbean, takes on various forms and can be made from modern materials like metal or plastic.The guiro is believed to have originated in Puerto Rico with the Taíno people, the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean in the 16th century and beyond. The earliest recorded reference to the instrument was in 1788, by a monk and Puerto Rico historian called Fray Íñigo Abbad y Lasierra.