The Apache Cupid
Anthony Belvado’s loving hands keep alive an ancient courtship ritual.
By: Jana Bommersbach 09/25/2009
In the meantime, he, like his grandfather before him, is making a name for himself in the art form. Earlier this year, he won two first-place ribbons for his Apache violins at the Southwest Indian Art Fair in Tucson, competing against hundreds of other artists. The fair was sponsored by the Arizona State Museum, which purchased both of his winning violins for permanent display.
The one thing you can’t ask Belvado to do is play his violins and sing the special songs. “I’ve heard it played, but before I got the chance to learn the songs, my grandfather passed away,” he says. “I know there are songs of horses and songs of butterflies, songs that are special and have to do with love, but I was left out of that.”
He sells his Apache violins at Indian art festivals—the annual markets in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in August and in Phoenix at the Heard Museum in March. He has found people of many cultures who appreciate their beauty and heritage. “It’s a piece of Indian art that can be cherished,” he says.
Belvado hopes he’ll be remembered for keeping alive an ancient Apache instrument. “We need to hold on to the past,” he says. “To me, it has special meaning, and it makes me happy to see someone appreciate it.”
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