Conjunto Mapeye, directly from Puerto Rico. One of leading exponents of Puerto Rican folk music, Conjunto Mapeyé was founded in 1978 by José Antonio Rivera Colón, also known as Tony Mapeyé. Conjunto Mapeyé has faithfully maintained the traditions of Jíbaro folk music, (music from the countryside of the island), which conveys a unique sound that traces influences from Native, European and African music. As is typical with this genre of music, the group uses the Cuatro, (a mandolin-like guitar unique to Puerto Rico), the Güiro, a scraper made out of a gourd, (inherited from the native Taínos of the Caribbean) and Bongos, (an African-derived Caribbean invention), the Spanish guitar and vocals in their instrumentation.
