Smithsonian - Perishable Pundit

NUESTRA MÚSICA: MUSIC INBuilding CommunityLATINO CULTUREDANIEL SHEEHY[48]Whatisthe meaning of music? One person's music mightbe another person's noise, devoid of significance. On thecither hand, a simple melody might tap into a deep veinot emotion, eall up a cherished memory, deepen spiritualdevotion, make the body move, or spur social action.When people endow music with meanings, associations, and values, they lenditpower — power to communicate, to move us, to transform our frame ofmind and our emotions. A common musical grounding can be used tostrengthen social connectedness, to bring people together incause, or to create symbols ot identity tor public representation.commonWhat, then, is the meaning ot música latina— Latino music? The title ofthe Nuestra Música— "Our Music"— program conveys two meanings. Oneis the feeling ot closeness that Latinos who share lite experiences, values, amiperhaps language teel when they sav. "This is out music "The other meaning,underscored by the symbol-charged setting of the National Mall inthe nation'scapital around the Independence I >av holiday, is that niíisiñi latina is adefining piece ot our nation's living cultural heritage. The storylineof the 200s Nuestra Música program is "Music BuildsCommunity"— how 1 atinos have used music to persevereas mexicanos, Chícanos, puertorriqueños, NewYoricans,cubanos, salvadoreños, centroamericanos, dominicanos, colombianos,Latinos, or another self-proclaimed label, in themass-media-driven, multicultural society ot the UnitedStates. In elaborating this theme, our greater purposesover the tour years of this project (2004-2007)are to spotlight grassroots música latina's beauty,texture, and centrality to our nation's cultural coreand to explore the main shades of meaning thatLatinos give music. Our special focus 111the 200sprogram is how Latinos use music and the values it carriesFor Nellie Tanco, veteran member of Los Plenerosde la 2 1 , the performance of Afro-Puerto Ricanbomba and plena inNew York City builds astrong sense of Puerto Rican identity.SMITHSONIAN POLK LIFE FESTIVAL