Smithsonian - Perishable Pundit

plena groups throughout the Northeast andbeyond. In addition to bringing arefreshedsound ot deep tradition to urban listeners, thegroup created new compositions that broughtPuerto Ricans together around current socialissues. One example is the piece "Isla Nena"with its retrain "Isla nena, perla cautiva; tupueblo te liberó de /./ marina" (Little girl island,pearl in captivity; your people liberated you¡o]from the navy) that celebrates the successfulprotests leading the U.S. Navy to abandon useof the island ot Vieques as atiring range.A fundamental cornerstone of community isthe family. Family, in turn, is otten fundamentalto passing on musical traditions, and musicmaking can be an important way ot keepingfamily ties strong .\nd music a lively, integrated,and relevant part ot community lite. In the cattlecountry ot the northeastern Mexican state ofSan Luis Potosí, tor example, the members ofthe trio Los Camperos de Valles, all acclaimedrepresentatives ot the Mexican son huastecomusical tradition, recall the importance ot familyconnections to having taken up their music.Violinist lociMonroy's grandfather Mateo wasa violinist, and an uncle ot his mother's playedguitar, especially at velorios, wakes. At the age oftwelve, Monroy started following his relativesand their musician friends around to parties atneighboring ranches and towns, learning bits andpieces ot how to play the traditional Huastecaninstruments, the jarana and huapanguera (smalland large rhythm guitars). Similarly, his colleagueGregorio "Goyo" Solano started learning jaranafrom his father at the age often. He followedhis violinist lather to local community tiestas.birthday parties, and baptism celebrations, wherehe was hired to play in Huastecan trios. "I gotinvoked m the musical scene, just listening atfirst. My father showed me little by little thebecame part ot the triofinger positions, and 1after having learned a little," he recalls. Likewise,group leader Marcos Hernandez started playingthe huapanguera professionally wath his uncleFortmo at the age ot fifteen. None of theseoutstanding musicians had formal training:The author interviews Los Camperos de Vallesin Ciudad Valles, San Luis Potosí, Mexico, forthe context-providing liner notes as vital to therecord-making process as the music itselfthey were first inspired and trained by theirfamily, the "conservatory ot traditional music."It it were not tor their strong family ties, thismasterful group ot traditional musicians wouldlikely not exist. In the Huastecan region, theson huasteco not only communicates a sense otidentity with the region's shared lifeways but,lor the musicians, carries strong associationswith family and with the "extended family"ofprofession.il Huastecan-style musicians.Another example ot how music buildscommunity is found in El Salvador's mountainous,agricultural Oriente (eastern)region.There, where small villages dot the ruggedlandscape, the centerpiece ot main town andfamily fiestas is the music ot a spirited, uniquelySalvadoran musical ensemble called chanchona.Chanchona literally means big sow, the localname given to the large stringed bass thatprovides the harmonic foundation tor the group.The chanchona emerged inthe latter halt of the20th century, borrowing repertoire from popularmusic from Mexico and other countries mVentral America. Over time a standard instrumentationot six or more members emerged,including chanchona, two violins, guitar, tumba(conga drum), and other percussion. Its grassrootssound focuses on the popular cumbia dancerhythm, fast-paced canción ranchera "countrySMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL