António Martinez
THE CRAFTSMAN OF
ANDALUSIAN DRUMS
Can you apply the technique of Andalusian drums to a picnic basket?! This was a request that pleased Antonio Martinez from the outset, leading him to accept working with the TASA Project.
This craftsman makes tamboriles rocieros (drums) and tambourines, used in the Andalusian pilgrimage La Romería de El Rocío, in the Spanish region.
He makes these drums by hand, which vary in diameter size (22-43 cm) in a total of seven different sizes depending on the size of the person playing the instrument and the resistance and sound intended from it. He also makes tambourines in five sizes, with one or two rows of rattle, with brass or stainless steel cymbals, producing rociera, navideña, serrana, and corralera styles.
To get from drums and tambourines to a picnic baskets requires an amount of dialogue, blending the designers’ ideas with the craftsman’s experience in manipulating his materials. “I like doing new things, experimenting with new products, innovating in my craftsmanship and, very importantly, making the most of business opportunities that come my way.”
And, speaking of his handicrafts, he concludes: “despite doing pieces in the same size, with the same shape and finishes, there is always something personal that identifies them and sets them apart.”
