Page 5 - AHATA

a7
local Friday 1 November 2024
Aruba’s neighborhoods; the meaning behind their names

Just like any other coun- of discovery, where you’ll make ‘Ayu’, it would mean
try, Aruba has unique and learn not only the beautiful “white.”
beautifully named neigh- names but the history be-
borhoods that all form a hind it that gives it life and However, as we now know,
part of its culture and de- meaning. the name of the neighbor-
velopment. Many of these hood is ‘Ayo’. The word ‘Yo’
names have a historical Ayo stands for Yocahu, which is
background and meaning Ajo, or Ayo, is a word with another word for ‘creator’
that teaches us about the Arawak-Indian origin. A in Arawak/Taino and in the
island and its rich culture (or Ha) is an Indo-Antil- Papiamento spoken today,
every day. lean generalizing word. ‘Ayo’ means ‘bye’.
If you were to change a
With this series, we want part of the word “Ayo”, At Ayo, you can find some
to take you on a journey namely ‘Yo’, to ‘Yu’ and of the most well known
rock formations. These for-
mations became a well
Ever heard of the cah’i orgel? loved and visited attrac-
A key instrument in tion at Aruba that is held in
high regards by both tour-
Aruban folklore music ists and locals alike.

If you’d like to know more
about the rock formations
at Ayo, stay tuned for our
Rufo Wever was a young article where we tell you all
musician in 1937 when he about its location and his-
established his own cah’i tory.
orgel business on the island.
Before that he experiment- This neighborhood’s abbre- In the surrounding areas, If you’d like to know more
ed with his uncle’s cah’i or- viation is; A. DomingoAntonia Silvestre about the Alto Vista
gel, and he over the years built his by his own means Church’s beautiful history,
he learned to build and re- Alto Vista the very first chapel or stay tuned for our article
pair the instrument. In fact, This word combination can church of Aruba. The walls where we tell you all you
he was incredibly skilled in be roughly translated to a of this church were made need to know about it for
(Oranjestad)—The cah’i or- this, and he was one of the ‘high point of view’ and the with rocks but the roof was when you visit it.
gel music box is an impor- few to have recognized neighborhood received made of dry corn stalks. The
tant and unique instrument from the start that the cah’i this name from the Hill. church was inaugurated This neighborhood’s abbre-
that is used on the ABC is- orgel is an instrument that by father Pablo Algemesi viation is; AV.
lands in the Dutch Carib- needs preserving.
bean. This instrument is a
staple in our folklore music, As mentioned, the cah’i
and its significance in the orgel is a music box. made
traditions of Aruba has and from mahogany wood, it
continues to bring together contains a cylinder with a
the old and young. maximum of eight music
pieces. By rotating the lever
The origin of the cah’i or- on the front side of the box,
gel is said to have come the cah’i orgel produces
from Europe around 150 music similar to that of a pi-
years ago. A cross breed ano, and is accompanied
between the barrel piano often by someone else
and the organ, the most playing the “wiri”, a per-
popular stories said that the cussion instrument made
instrument came from ei- out of steel and reminis-
ther England or Germany, cent to the Spanish guiro.
but made its way to Italy Back then, you would often
down to Venezuela, where also find someone playing
in 1881, Mr. Horatio Sprock the triangle alongside the
(1866-1949) from Curacao cah’i orgel and wiri. In Aru-
was first introduced to it. ba, the cah’i orgel and wiri
After that, Sprock made his is used for traditional music
own cah’i orgel “Josefina”, genres, such as the Aruban
and successfully debuted waltz, tumba, mazurka and
it on the streets of Barqui- more.
simeto. Back in Curacao,
he started his own cah’i Fun fact: another name for
orgel business along with the cah’i orgel is the “tin-
his brother Luis. In Aruba, it gilingi box.”
is said that the cah’i orgel
was introduced by Rufo Source: “E Cilinder Magico
Wever, who later in his ca- entre Aruba y Curaçao” by
reer became one of the Marilyn Alcalá-Wallé, Herta
composers for the Aruban Parabirsing-Balentina and Ni-
national anthem. dia Rosaria-Wallé.