It's been an interesting geographic and cultural territory we have traversed during this sixth season of Momentos Musicales. Throughout, we have asked how music and its performers have dispersed their songs and dances. La Cadena de las Américas, that elaborate network of shortwave radios and repeaters, brought joy throughout the Americas by distributing songs and artists from the Americas far and wide. In this manner, music defeated fascism during the early years of WWII.
Music won on many fronts thanks to the numerous musicians recruited by Edmund Chester, one of the architects of La Cadena. Musicians came from throughout Pan America to take up residence in the United States during the world war. They entertained daily over the radio waves, singing out to listeners from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. These broadcasts lifted spirits near and far through music at once popular, folkloric, and even classical.
Dance music played a major role, thus the spotlight on tango, from Argentina, samba, from Brazil and now Mexico as we reach the final scene of the final act of Momentos Musicales 2026.
As with so much of Pan America, especially those areas which face eastward toward Africa, dance was often driven by African rhythm and percussion. Combine this with already present indigenous dance and the expression Afro-Argentine or Afro-Brazilian comes into play. So what about Mexico? Afro-Mexican? Well, yes. Son Jarocho is a famous folk style featuring African-derived syncopaton, polyrhythms, and call-and-response. The world renowned song “La Bamba” originates from this tradition.
Then there is "Jarabe Tapatio," yes you will immediately recognize it as the "Mexican Hat Dance." "Jarabe Tapatio" emerged during the late 18th and early 19th centuries in the Mexican state we know as Jalisco. Tapatio refers to someone from Guadalajara, the capital of the state of Jalisco.
Mexico is a large country with a geography which permitted many indigenous groups to populate and then develop their own customs, semi-remote from each other. Thus we find present day dance and music traditions which vary from one part of Mexico to another. For instance, a distinctive regional tradition associated with Zapotec communities of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec can be represented by the celebrated song "La Llorona," closely associated with this musical world, although it is not itself the name of a dance.
Although Mariachi most often comes up in casual conversation about Mexican song and dance (example no. one might be the Mexican Hat Dance), Pablo Moncayo's "Huapango" runs a close second. It is rowdy to a point, but with very lyrical moments such as this duet between flute and horn . . . intentionally discordant sounds from the horn section are cause for alegría rather than distress.
There are multitudes of dances to be found throughout Mexico. It's not all Jarabe Tapatio, or Son Jarocho. For instance, Danzon, which immediately brings to mind Danzon No. 2 by Arturo Márquez. In a sense, it has become like "La Bamba" or "Jarabe Tapatio," completely overshadowing other Marquez danzones. The Danzon No. 5 is introspective rather than displaying the extroverted verve of Danzon No. 2.
This year's edition of Momentos Musicales is made possible by a generous grant from the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation. Gracias por escuchar.
