Don Beto Cruz is 84 years old and has been playing traditional music since he was a child. He is accompanied by Jesus Garcia, a younger generation musician who has been learning Don Beto's vast repertory of songs. At the festival, they presented corridos as a narrative song form that has traditionally acted almost like a newspaper, reporting real events, and expressing sentiments that could be interpreted as subversive and rebellious. When I asked them to share their thoughts about the U.S. Border's migra-corridos they had an interesting reaction. They were not upset that a traditional song form was being packaged and sold to push a government agenda. If anything, they simply smiled and seemed like they were up for the challenge.
Jesus Garcia:
Corridos are about telling the truth. They can act as an ongoing conversation.
Someone may write a corrido, expressing an opinion, and someone else can write a song as a reaction, or arguing back. I would be interested in listening to those songs (migra-corridos) and I'm sure,,,,there are other corridos being written and played back.
Both Don Beto Cruz and Jesus Garcia are from Sonora, Mexico. To hear some of their music, visit http://www.festival.si.edu/2009/las_americas/cruz.aspx
1 comment:
I love this quote because it encapsulates what folklore is all about--a conversation. Thanks for the post.
Post a Comment