But “after whistling together for a while, their communication becomes as easy as if speaking Spanish,” Mr. Correa said. As is the case in many languages, whether whistled or not, there is a generation gap on La Gomera. Older residents on La Gomera recall how Silbo was used as a warning language, particularly when a police patrol was spotted searching for contraband. In a recent fictional movie, “The Whistlers,” Silbo is used by gangsters as their secret code language. “Silbo was not invented on La Gomera, but it is the island where it was best preserved,” said David Díaz Reyes, an ethnomusicologist.

Source: New York Times February 18, 2021 10:00 UTC