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Postage Stamps Play the Tune
Music has long been associated with culture throughout the world. From the most primitive of natural resources to the most complex of technological inventions, humans have ingeniously devised instruments to convey emotions through music. In some cultures, the instruments were actually used to send messages. The diversity of instruments and the maestros of music have been carefully portrayed on postage stamps.
In December, 2000, Luxembourg released a ‘Musical Instruments’ series of stamps. The 9franc version depicts the electric guitar, an instrument invented around the 1930s in the United States of America. The 24franc stamp shows a piano accordion, an instrument patented in Vienna in 1829.
Hawaii celebrated the 125th anniversary of the ukulele with the release of postage stamps in August, 2004. The five cent version shows a trio of ukulele players with the mountains of Hawaii in the background. This stamp proved very popular as it embodied the integral role of the ukulele in Hawaiian music.
In 1957, Laos issued a set of stamps showing traditional Laotian musical instruments. The rang-nat, a kind of xylophone is shown of the K10 stamp. The so, a kind of violin, is shown on the K30 stamp and khene, a blowing instrument was depicted on the K50 postage stamp. The variety of musical instruments truly reflects the amazing cultures of different peoples in different nations.
Ireland and Italy have each celebrated the ‘magic of pipes’ with stamp issues. Italy released a Christmas stamp in 1979 showing the zampogna pipes which are today undergoing a vigorous revival in this European nation. Ireland celebrated its traditional musical instruments in 1980 with a twelve cent stamp showing players of the bodhron drum and the whistle. The fifteen cent stamp showing uilleann pipes reflects the nature and culture of the Irish people.
Chad was the first nation to release a Louis Armstrong postage stamp. In October, 1971, Chad issued a 100franc airmail stamp with a purple background and a portrait of the master and his trumpet in a white oval centre. In 1972, Rwanda issued a thirty cent stamp featuring Louis Armstrong and including a caricature of Benny Goodman to recognise the United Nations Year Against Racism. The brass instruments remain close to the hearts of soul singers from America’s south.
The United States of America recognized Bernstein and his passion for music with the release of a 34cent stamp in 1969. His accomplishments as a pianist and composer are highly recognized internationally. Poland celebrated one of its finest violinists and composers, Henry Wienswaski, with the release in 1952 and again in 1957.
The port horn was used by postal carriers across Europe to signal the arrival of the mail coach in towns and villages. Its widespread use as a continental postal symbol continues to pay homage to its former pragmatic use.
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