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photo by Todd Winters
Sones de Mexico Ensemble
Mexican folk musicians on special mission
Published Wednesday, October 21, 2009
SYBENE — There’s more to Mexican music than acoustic guitars and guys in silver charro outfits and wide-brimmed hats.
That’s what Sones de Mexico Ensemble wants to prove when the group of Mexican musicians come next week.
The ensemble will perform three concerts starting at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, at the Sybene Senior Center. That night at 7 p.m. will be a more extensive show at Ohio University Southern. On Friday will be a 10 a.m. performance also at Ohio University geared more for the college students followed by workshops at Ironton High School.
It all started 15 years ago when Juan Dies, now executive director of the non-profit, met up with award-winning musician and composer Victor Pichardo.
“I was fresh out of graduate school at Indiana University. I was an ethnomusiciologist. I grew up in Mexico and came to the United States to study that,” Dies said recently during a phone interview from the group’s headquarters in Chicago.
“I saw how much knowledge he had about these regional styles. He taught me the technique to play those styles.”
Now the ensemble of six musicians appear in concerts worldwide showing the regional music of their home country performing on between 25 to 30 instruments.
“Part of our mission is to show how diverse Mexican music is,” Dies said. “I love mariachi music, but there is so much more about Mexican music. We like to bring those to light and bring to the stages of the world.”
There is a lack of knowledge about the diversity of this kind of folk music outside of the regions in Mexico where it originated, Dies said.
He compares this to a limited understanding of the variety of music from the United States.
“I can think of Appalachian music in the U.S., maybe some forms of Cajun and Zydeco that are known in their region, but people outside the region only know the United States by jazz and blues,” he said.
In the past decade plus, Sones de Mexico have recorded three albums and traveled to more than 30 states and countries.
“Mariachi has had more of a presence in films and the media and television. Some of the other styles are obscure outside of their own region,” Dies said. “We demystify. Maybe at the beginning (audiences) may be intrigued by such foreign sounds. By the end they see it is just as enjoyable as the others. They will end up dancing and clapping.”
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Comments
Posted by SomeGuyOnLaneStreet (anonymous) on October 21, 2009 at 12:39 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by john_mushenhouse (anonymous) on October 21, 2009 at 1:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
aye yi yi yi
Posted by juandies (anonymous) on October 22, 2009 at 8:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
We in Sones de Mexico Ensemble are looking forward to our visit to Ironton. I thank the Ironton Tribune for their interest in our story.
I am sadden to hear this kind of feedback from SoneGuyOnLaneStreet and john_mushenhouse. I know it does not represent the general sentiment of the people of this town, but it does point to an urgent need for some exposure to people from other cultures. This public display of bigotry makes you and your community look very bad, especially in the eyes of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ohio Arts Council who are bringing this programming to Ironton at no cost to you. And as for your tax contribution, probably less than $2 from your annual taxes go to the arts. So, I'd say you are getting a great deal!
For the record, we are not illegal immigrants, and we pay our taxes. In fact, our taxes are probably paying for SoneGuyOnLaneStreet's unemployment checks. And how did "illegal immigrant," "swine flu," "God" and "Sarah Palin" get all rolled up into one sentence? This is so prejudicial that, I'm sorry to say but, even Ms. Palin (and certainly God) would probably disagree with you. I also think (hope) that most people in Ironton disagree with you as well.
I look forward to our visit to Ironton despite comments from these two people.
Sincerely,
Juan Dies
Executive Director
Sones de Mexico Ensemble
Posted by charlieb51 (anonymous) on October 22, 2009 at 12:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sounds like an exciting thing to see. I live out of town but wish I were visiting this weekend so I could see this.
Posted by buckfan4life2 (anonymous) on October 23, 2009 at 2:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
NEO. how can you blast someone for saying,what you think is a racist remark when it is a "FACT" Obama,his wife and everyone he has surrounded himself with are the most racist people that has ever steped foot in the white house. What is wrong with the American people anymore. Is everyone really this blind. After 911 I would have never in my wildest dreams that we would put a man with a muslim name as president of the once great United States of America. If you don't think this guy is a closet muslim you and all the people that put this man in office is NUTS! And why ,if anyone says anything a little negative about Obama all you libs can comeback with is "they can't stand it because a black man is president" This makes me vomit! No I can't stand it because THIS MAN will destroy this country. COUNT ON IT!
Posted by zetlaux (anonymous) on November 3, 2009 at 2:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Juan Dies's comment on here made my day. As someone married to a Mexican (who resides here legally and pays taxes), I take strong offense to the blind ignorance and racism that has been expressed on this topic. The Ironton Tribune should moderate this website closely if they are going to allow anybody from the community to share their "wisdom."
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