The craft of a luthier is a slow dialogue with time. To create a single timple—the small, five-stringed instrument that serves as the heartbeat of Canarian folk music—Rodríguez begins with the heartwood of the Canarian pine, known locally as tea. This resinous wood, which grows only on the volcanic slopes at high altitudes, requires a patient drying process before it can be cut or bent.
The artisan’s hands must navigate the specific resistance of the grain to form the joroba, the distinctive vaulted back that gives the instrument its resonance. It is a methodical process that demands up to 80 hours of manual labor for a single piece. In his workshop in the Aridane Valley, the air often carries the heavy, sharp scent of pine resin, a sensory reminder of the landscape that provides the music its physical body.
This recognition serves as a bridge between the physical act of creation and the intangible spirit of the islands. As fellow artisans from La Palma looked on, the award reinforced the necessity of the generational bond between the master and the student. Despite the disruption caused by the 2021 volcanic eruption in his home valley, Rodríguez has remained a guardian of the tone, ensuring that the folías of the future ring with the same clarity as those of the past.