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There are many historically unacknowledged cultural influences in Mexican and Latin American music. The conquering Spanish were previously imprinted
by the African Moorish, Sephardic Jewish and Gitano or Gypsy cultures from India. With Spanish colonization, these influences combined with the traditions of the ancient indigenous peoples inhabiting the Americas. Due
to the African slave trade, African rhythm and song also permeate Latin America, evidenced in rhythms and common strumming patterns that form a thread through all of Latin America. The Mestizo and Criollo
races emerged from this complex cross-pollination of cultures, creating rich, vibrant and varied musical traditions. Traditionally, much of it is dance music. An integral part of the community, the music and dance, eating and drinking, playing, singing and improvising all night all go together, involving everyone.
For every song of celebration, there is a song of sadness. Music is one of the most powerful vehicles known to us for expressing our condition. Sadly, colonialism was built on racism. Today in the world, racism
is still one of our most hideous diseases. It is so ingrained that it permeates the very structure of our societies. The legacy of our past is a social and spiritual wound that must be healed. But the other part
of our legacy is the fact that there is so much to learn, respect and love about our different roots. With each generation, we are also becoming one, penetrating one another, mixing blood, continuing to build culture and
create music together. This is a place where healing can take place, where we can sing the same song together while honoring the differences in who we are. |
