Los viajes del viento

I found it very interesting that, as it mentioned in the beginning of the chapter, Latin American culture is so closely tied with European and African culture. However, I can see why since Spanish colonies, Portugal, and other places interacted with Latin America even so far as to leave an influence on their language, and black slaves were brought to parts of Latin America to be imported. One musical feature that the Europeans helped to incorporate into Latin America music is the singing with their languages. In fact, we learned in the reading that the Quichua language incorporated some Spanish into it. Most of the Latin American songs that I’ve heard are sung in Spanish, although this isn’t to say that what I’ve heard is best representative

Moreno asserts that ““Too many times, we have read our history books that have been written by Europeans, and it has had a tremendous impact in the way we view our culture and listen to our music. I do think that our identity is lost with it and at some point, we try to find it again later in life” (7). Students are able to see a different point of view rather than only the perspectives of textbook writers who at times deprive students from the full truth and the media who exaggerates or embellishes the truth. Many artists and musicians express their anger and oppression through music and students are able to listen to this and get the complete synopsis of problems happening in the world. For instance, in “The Embodiment of Salsa: Musicians, Instrument and the Performance of a Latina Style and Identity,” Patria Roman-Velasquez argued that the embodiment of salsa develops through specific practices whereby instruments, performance techniques, vocal sounds, bodily movements and ways of dressing are encoded and experienced as part of a particular Latin identity. Therefore, this expressing that music has much of an influence in Latin identity and the construction of identity and

The theme of this story can be expressed as a story of suffering and racism. Though the theme may be thought of as just about a young boy who gets himself in trouble with drugs and tries to redeem himself by his passion of music; it

separate how De Las Casas might have been an outspoken critic of the Spanish’s treatment of indigenous people, and how he was still a part of a repressive institution. Finally, I

In my personal experience, Mexican music has revolved around my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up in a bordertown has its Hispanic heritage. Whether I was at home, school, or even in public places, I would hear Spanish related music playing in the background. I believe Spanish music holds many values when it comes to different occasions. The music can manipulate the minds of its listeners using love, passion, and outstanding rhythms. After reading an article online, I can explain how three different genres of traditional Mexican music influence people’s culture.

Social science teaches that a person’s self identity is a reflection of that which other people put on the individual, in other words a person’s behavior steams more from what they see of themselves from someone else’s perspective and less from how they see themselves. In the case of the Mexicans, this concept holds true. From that, which has been studied thus far this semester, Mexicans/ Mexican Americans are good examples of this concept. Their sorted past has resulted in a new kind of Mexican American and perhaps a new kind of Mexican. Certainly the Mexicans American’s experience in this country has brought about some changes from the first generation of Mexicans who were born in this country to those who

The 1959 novel, Pocho, by José Antonio Villarreal is an insightful cultural exposition told primarily from the vantage point of Richard Rubio, the coming-of-age son of immigrant Mexican parents who eventually settle in Santa Clara, California, after many seasons of migrant farm work. Although fiction, the story likely mirrors some of the experiences of the author who was born to migrant laborers in Los Angeles in 1924 and was himself a "pocho" - a child of the depression era Mexican-American transition. ("I am a Pocho," he said, "and we speak like this because here in California we make Castilian words out of English words." p 165)

Throughout Enrique’s Journey, the vivid use of imagery is the main source of understanding. The use of Nazario’s descriptive language really helps depict the mood and setting of the scene. We can see this through the

"Los Vendidos," directed by Luis Valdez, is a remarkable play that looks into the historical struggles, stereotypes and challenges of Mexican Americans in a unique fashion. Rather than tell the history of Mexican Americans through documentaries and actual footage, the play conveys its message about the true history of Mexican Americans in the United States through both subtle and blatant techniques.

Throughout the Mexican revolution, songs from northern Mexico emerged telling stories of heroism and defeat. Moreover, these corridos, translated into English meaning ballads, were influenced by 14th-century romantic Spanish notes. Further, these ballads, commonly performed by individuals who lack formal musical training and embrace the use of the accordion and tuba in the melody (Madrid 2013, 92). The result of these factors is a musical genre considered unrefined and unsophisticated by most of Mexico until the music’s growth in popularity in the 1970s.

He examines how the instrumentation, repertoire, and usage of the word itself had changed significantly since the Mariachi appeared in the 19th century. Son Jalisciense is the genre most associated with traditional Mariachi, and the sons are considered the oldest part of the repertoire. This style was very popular and known in rural areas to be dance tunes and festive style music. Traditionally son text has been made up of colpes usually octosyllabic and totaling four to six lines, about themes of love. Through the use of sons, Mariachi has seen other sub genres emerge such as son jarocho and son Huesto. These different Genres are all played in different states. Although these sons have different sounds and form, they do share a few things like, compound meters, all are played at a fast tempo, and all are composed of dance music. This development speaks to the innovation Mariachi has made in its past, and continues to make moving forward. As mariachi moved into the twentieth century we realize that it is a genre that is always changing and development because as it travels around the world in popularity, different people and cultures will continue to develop their own versions of the

For centuries, the Mexican-American experience has been one of adversity and endurance. The plight of these native peoples has been ignored and many times erased from the American conscience. They have struggled for acknowledgment, they have fought for equality and they have gone to battle for respect. Luis Valdez’s play, Los Vendidos, is just one of many contributions to this effort. A powerfully moving play, Los Vendidos, or the "sell-outs", is a piece created to gain acknowledgement, heighten awareness and to create a sense of camaraderie amongst the people fighting in the Chicano Movement of the late 1960’s and 70’s. Created by a population that had been victimized, beaten and driven to the ground by the powerful grip of American

The Peruvian culture was selected for this cultural assignment after an encounter with a surprising Peruvian music performance during a routine work commute at a New York City train station. The band, Espiritu Andino, consisted of several male performers in ponchos and threaded caps. Although outshined by a pan flute, all the typical musical instruments worked together to produce soothing and melodic notes. The listeners could easily transcend to mystic mountain tops and river passages. The performance ignited not only intrigue but also admiration for the Peruvian culture.

Elaborating on the modernist thrust of Tejano conjunto, Peña addresses the musical innovation during the post war period and attributes these changes to “los músicos modernos”—Valerio Longoria, Tony De La rosa, Paulino Bernal, and Rubén Vela. The introduction of modern instruments, such as Longoria’s use of the modern dance band drums, was “surely the most radical innovation ever made within the tradition” of conjunto. Dropping the tambora de rancho “created an entirely new dimension in that it altered the function of all the other instruments in the conjunto.” Characterizing Tony De La Rosa as the most influential, Peña states De La Rosa standardized the use of modern drum. “Clearly, the addition of the drums (which included a floor bass

An important omission from Garcia Marquez's metaphorical history of Latin America is the savagely cruel wars for independence, which last from 1810 to (in Colombia) 1819. We can assume then that these wars are already over by the time Macondo is founded, so that this fictional act corresponds to developments in about 1820 - 1825 in the country's real history. This primitive stage of Macondo is also a time of innocence, a psychological theme important in the book.