Marimba Linda Xelajú perform traditional and contemporary Mayan music in the indigenous instrument, the Marimba, at the National Museum of the American Indian on Dec 27, 2008.
Under the leadership of Robert C. Girón, who is joined by members of his family, the group was created to keep Guatamala's culture alive for people of all ages and all cultural backgrounds. http://www.marimbaxelaju.com
The marimba is a tuned instrument made of hardwood bars in graduated lengths set horizontally in a frame. The larger keys produce a deep mellow sound and the smaller keys produce a sharper, alto sound. To produce the sound, the keys are struck with a mallet. The mallet's vary in size in accordance to the position on the marimba. In this way, the marimba "sings and laughs".