The “viola da terra”, also known as “viola de 2 corações” is a traditional musical instrument from the Azores. Its appearance is associated with the presence of the Portuguese guitar in these islands brought by the first settlers from the Portuguese mainland.
As time went by, many craftsmen dedicated themselves to the art of building guitars of the land, being for them their livelihood.
This instrument has acquired a great social and cultural importance in the life of all Azoreans, since it has always been present in various traditional festive events to accompany melodies and merrymaking, thus ensuring joy. However, Viola da Terra was not only limited to the Azorean islands, on the contrary, it left with our emigrants to the Diaspora.
One of the characteristics of the Viola da Terra that stand out are the two hearts that represent the love between two people who are physically separated but who remain connected by the same feeling which is longing. The two hearts are united by a tear of longing which is also referred to as the symbol of the ace of diamonds, representing the search for fortune when emigrating.
Last modified: 6 de September, 2021
