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Canóvanas.- With an unmistakable smile and surrounded by pieces of wood, colorful beads, leathers, and barrels, artisan Eliseo Molina del Valle spends his days crafting what has been his great passion for years: percussion instruments.

Molina del Valle started repairing instruments from a young age and developed his ability to craft them.

“Curiosity led me to work on the tuning system, the leather used in the drums. My family had a furniture store, and there was a music department inside; when I went to replace the leather on the conga, it came pre-molded, and although it was a tough job, I always looked for ways to improve it,” said the artisan, explaining his initial encounter with what became his livelihood.

For over 30 years, Elo, as he is known in the artistic and artisan world, has been dedicated to making tambourines, “shekeres,” güiros, barrels, and any other instrument related to Puerto Rican bomba and plena, with the distinctive style that only his hands can achieve.

“I put hard work into every single thing I do, into every single piece. The quality of what I do speaks for itself. Tuning the instruments is a manual process. There’s a piece, the screw that tunes it, and it has to be pounded about 100 times. I do everything by hand,” said the man, who defines himself as a self-taught artisan.

After being certified as an artisan in 1996, this renowned wood craftsman has participated in various artisanal fairs and exhibited pieces in Japan, Spain, and Argentina working with materials such as mahogany, laurel, oak, and almond, among others.

“I’ve made thousands and thousands of pieces. I’ve had people from abroad ordering sets of panderos (tambourines) that cost between $600 and $700; but when they call me, it’s because someone recommended me,” highlighted the artist.

The most sought-after percussion instruments by Elo’s followers are the wooden panaderos, which take him a day to design add his personal touch, which is the tuning detail.

“Shekeres” are also in high demand. Each piece can take him about six to seven hours. “You have to open it up, sand it on the inside, and then prepare it, paint it, prepare the thread mesh, and then start weaving. I get a lot requests for pieces with the Puerto Rican flag,” shared the seasoned artisa, who always keeps inventory in his workshop located on Muñoz Rivera Street in Canóvanas. More information can be found through the Facebook under the name Elo Molina.

Efraín Carrasquillo Pastrana, a barber by profession, is another “shekeres” craftsman. He found something more than a hobby in this craft. “I’m a musician, and I used to buy the instrument for its versatility, but one day I felt the urge to break it. I started practicing how to make it until I perfected the technique, and I continued my training by watching YouTube tutorials. The first one I made was horrible, it didn’t turn out well because I only had a vague idea, but I kept breaking and making them until I achieved what I wanted,” said the artist about the instrument originating from the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria, which consists of a gourd integrated with a mesh of beads that produces its characteristic sound.

This “shekere” master stated that he has lost count of the number of pieces he has made. However, he emphasized that this instrument has been very attractive in its small or medium size, with prices ranging from $25 up to $130.

“I prepare them right here. I enjoy making them here at the workshop located in my barbershop, Paitos Barber, in my spare time. If I have an order, I work on them more at home,” said the artisan, who also crafts güiros and the so-called screwless treated wooden chairs. You can follow the artist on Facebook: Efraín Carrasquillo.