Rafael Martínez Bouzo is one of the most remarkable personages in the development of modern Timbrado, international judge and Antonio Drove Aza's pupil, the real "alma mater" of Discontinuous Timbrado. Bouzo did a huge task in the setting up of the Asturian Timbrado during the 60s and in its expansion nationwide in the 70s and 80s, working also in the successive amendments of 1962 Code, greatly correcting its severe technical mistakes and including many lines of Timbrado straightly linked with the ancient "canario del pais" and segregated in the original Codes of Timbrado.

My thought in the selection of the Spanish Timbrado 

 By Rafael Martínez Bouzo, Spanish Timbrado judge

Pajaros Magazine nº 18, 1972

In these lines I won´t include anything related with the tours or Song Code of this canary, I´ll just make some comments to lead and to clear doubts that many breeders of this race have. Many fanciers ask me about the way to breed good Spanish Timbrado canaries. My answer is always the same: it depends on the sensibility, the esthetic taste of each individual. We must be indulgent with the beginner that thinks of his own Timbrados as real champions because he hasn´t got enough information to make a fair comparison. If this breeder has esthetic taste at some point he will listen real high quality singers and then he´ll realise that his own birds are not so good and he´ll do as much as possible to get better birds. This breeder, this begginer, has strong musical sensitivity and, finally, he´ll have good birds.

It´s said that we breed in Asturias the best Timbrados all over Spain and this is due to the great sensitivity of some breeders and the instruction of two great friends and real experts, Antonio Drove Aza and Santiago Ruiz. Thanks to these masters we breed a canary with soft, sweet, musical and varied song. Antonio Drove Aza who was my teacher and the most knowledgeable man I´ve ever met in canary and bird song, from the very first contest he performed as judge in Asturias he persevered in achieving a Spanish Timbrado canary  that could proudly represent us in any kind of competition. The truth is that he wasn´t listened as much as he deserved but, still, we're on the way to accomplish his teachings.

It´s not fair and we can not accept that any canary bird that sings different than Roller and with a loud voice can be called Spanish Timbrado. In Spanish Canary Shows most birds are grouped in three categories: Roller, Spanish Timbrado and Colour. Usually is accepted as Spanish Timbrado  any canary with a different voice tone than Roller and the louder are his tours, the better. Afterwards the judge will say if it´s a good or bad singer but as the birds that yell are easier to hear, they will be sold quickly and those buyers will be deceived new breeders who will lose many years or will abandon this fancy frustrated with the trickery. No, this is not the way. Let´s be honest. You may say that you don´t understand but then I´ll tell you what I always explain to my friends. Don´t think about awards, discard any bird which song you don´t like because canaries are bred to the personal enjoyment and not to be awarded in a contest. Moreover as you know not always the best bird wins, many times this one goes unnoticed. I´ll never understand how anyone can stand at home canaries that he doesn´t like just because they´ll score well at the contest. Breed canaries for yourself not for the judge's sake!!

Many Timbrado breeders in Asturias are trying to uproot chaus- chaus, piaus- piaus, chac- chac and every other kind of harsh sounds though we know that our canaries can be misunderstood in certain contests. On the contrary we try to enrich other tours that are included in the Code and are better sounding to our ears as flourishes in their multiple forms, cojoint variations, clucks and watery tours, conforming a sweet and armonious song.  Some very good breeders from Jerez and Alicante share this same musical tastes and nowadays have as good Timbrados as we have in Asturias.

While judging in the National Show at Seville and the World Show at Munich I had the chance to talk freely about this subject with many international judges, and most of them shared my thoughts about the type of Timbrado that could represent Spain with dignity but they warned me about the difficulties to achieve such a great singer. As I believe that this is a life lasting hobby, let´s use it to improve our national singer and make this race be admired by the international experts and widespread as many other varieties. 

Miguel Angel Obeso miguelobeso@hotmail.com