This gourd-resonating musical bow likely has common roots with the Brazilian berimbau, due to constant trade between Asia and South America in the nineteenth century, during which the instrument may have been introduced to the Chamorro people.
The eleaotua has traditionally been part of wedding and other ceremonies in Guam, such as the Chamorro Month celebrations in schools, though it has lost popularity in recent times.
[1] It is made by attaching a string to a long flat wooden stick, on top of which is a resonating gourd.
Wood of young trees has been preferred, as it is more flexible and easier to bend, and a wider body is used to produce a better sound.
The string used on the instrument has traditionally been made of wild pineapple fibre, whereas now it has been replaced by metal wires, which produce a louder and brighter sound.