Sones de Mexico Ensemble

Description

Photo by Jon Lowenstein

Sones de México Ensemble is Illinois' premier Mexican folk music ensemble. The two-time Grammy-nominated sextet specializes in Mexican 'son', a family of diverse, regional music styles that date back to the 16th Century. With a large collection of over 80 folk musical instruments representative of Mexico’s diverse local cultures the group's multi-instrumentalist musicians, vocalists and dancer perform a repertoire that is rich in colors, textures and rhythms. They often collaborate cross-culturally with classical, blues, Irish, Chinese and other musicians and dancers to promote a deeper appreciation of Mexico's rich, but often little-known rural music traditions.

The group made its first public appearance in 1994 at an art gallery in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, commemorating the death of Mexican land-rights revolution hero Emiliano Zapata. Chicago, with the second-largest Mexican immigrant population in the U.S. was fertile ground for the ensemble’s development. The group continues to enjoy strong community support.

Today, the ensemble has toured coast-to-coast, and through its own nonprofit organization has taught thousands of school children and adults across the nation about the riches of Mexican music, dance and culture. The ensemble has released six recordings and opened its own Mexican Music School in Chicago.

The sextet is currently formed by Víctor Pichardo (music director), Juan Díes, Zacbé Pichardo, Eric Hines, Lorena Iñiguez and Irekani Ferreyra.

Work Sample

This is a sample of our group playing as a sextet

"El Gustito" (son huasteco)
[traditional]
Sones de Mexico Ensemble
LIVE at the Old Town School of Folk Music
February 21, 2015
DVD: Sones de México Meets the Chicago Blues
www. sonesdemexico.com

Musicians:
Juan Dies—bass, vocals
Lorena Iñiguez—jarana huasteca
Gonzalo Córdova—guitar, vocals
Juan Rivera—violin, vocals
Zacbe Pichardo—guitarra quinta huapanguera
Javier Saume—drums

Video Recording:
Chris Greene
(Flight AV)

Audio Recording:
Timothy Powell
(Metro Mobile Location Recording, Inc.)

Audio & Video Mix:
Alan Contreras
(Flight AV)

This is a sample of our ensemble performing in a cross-cultural collaboration with Irish dancers and musicians.

"Jarabe de Rio Verde/Irish Washer Woman" (huapango/jig)
[traditional]
Sones de Mexico Ensemble with Seán Cleland and the Irish Music School of Chicago Faculty
LIVE at the Old Town School of Folk Music
March 21, 2015
DVD: Los San Patricios
www. sonesdemexico.com

Musicians:
Juan Dies—upright bass
Lorena Iñiguez—vihuela
Gonzalo Córdova—guitar
Juan Rivera—violin
Zacbe Pichardo—guitarra quinta huapanguera
Javier Saume—drums

Sean Cleland—violin
Seán Gavin—uilleann pipes
Rory Makem—guitar
Gerry Carey—accordion
Jackie Moran—bodhrán, banjo
Jim DeWan—Guitar, vocals
Katie Grennan—violin

Special guests:
Alex Chavez—jarana huasteca
Anthony Bruno—alto sax

Dancers:
Katie Grennan, Colleen Gallagher, Andrew Serb, Peter Dziak and the Mexican Folkloric Dance Company of Chicago (Jose & Matie Ovalle, Directors)

Video Recording:
Paul Christopher Greene
(Flight AV)

Audio Recording:
Timothy Powell
(Metro Mobile Location Recording, Inc.)

Audio & Video Mix:
Alan Contreras
(Flight AV)

Live Mix:
Dave Unger

Sponsored by The Joyce Foundation, Illinois Arts Council Agency, The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation Funds for Arts & Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and individual donors like you.

This is a general overview of Sones de Mexico Ensemble's concert, education and media programs narrated by Executive Director Juan Dies.

Our work samples shows the work we do [1] as a stand-alone sextet (see "El Gustito"); [2] in collaboration with other music and dance groups (see "Jarabe de Rio Verde & The Irish Washer Woman"); and [3] as an overall vision of all of our operations (see "Sones de Mexico Ensemble Programs Overview")

History

Sones de México Ensemble's mission is to promote a greater appreciation of Mexican folk and traditional music through innovative performance, education, and dissemination.

The group was formed in Chicago’s historic Pilsen neighborhood in 1994 by four folk musicians and educators. Their vision was to create a world-class ensemble that could (a) perform, (b) record and (c) teach Mexican "son" in its many regional forms. Today, Sones de Mexico is the largest Mexican folk music organization in Illinois. The sextet has national recognition, including two Grammy nominations, a touring history in over 30 U.S. states, including such prestigious venues as the Getty Villa Museum in Los Angeles, Carnegie Hall in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, most major venues in Chicago, and worldwide distribution of its recordings.

For a timeline and more information about the group's history visit https://sonesdemexico.com/history/

Artistic Vision

Since its inception, Sones de México Ensemble has been committed to artistic excellence and professionalism in all of its programs, large or small.

The organization offers a number of educational and outreach programs, including music lessons, elementary and college residencies, children’s programs, workshops, lectures and songwriting classes. Mexican culture and heritage are interwoven into every performance and program.

In all of our operations, we are committed to

1. Maintaining the highest levels of excellence and professionalism in everything we do.
2. Remaining true to and knowledgeable about the traditions we represent.
3. Educating people about the wealth and depth of Mexican folk music culture.
4. Creating engaging experiences for the public and delivering extraordinary entertainment and learning value.
5. Being innovative with our music and sound.
6. Inspiring others to explore their cultural heritage.
7. Being accessible to and encouraging of anyone who wants to learn more about Mexican folk music and culture.
8. Being supportive of other musicians who share our values and engaging in mutually beneficial collaborations.
9. Establishing Mexican son as a component of the American music vocabulary.
10. Being a sustainable and fiscally responsible operation.

Sones de Mexico actively reaches out to diverse audiences within and beyond Chicago's large Mexican community. The group often engages in cross-cultural projects with Irish, Blues, Chinese and other musicians.

Programs for Specific Audience(s) Expertise

We have ample experience working in dual language settings with Spanish and English-speaking audiences. We have some experience providing verbal descriptions for visually impaired audiences (in English and Spanish). While we have done special performances for mentally disabled children and adults (including Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and dementia), we do not consider ourselves trained for any therapeutic purposes.

Traditional Folk/Ethnic Artform Statement

ETHNIC & FOLK ARTS—Mexican “son” is family of regional folk music and dance styles that dates back to 17th Century. It continues to be alive and vibrant in the 21st Century. Many young people in Mexico and people of Mexican descent who live in migrant communities around the world work hard to keep their communities together. They do so by practicing and supporting folk arts: music, dance, foodways, and folklife of numerous cultural regions from Mexico while enriching the cultural diversity of Illinois. As an educational organization, Sones de Mexico is well-positioned to fulfill the needs of the community and by being a cultural representative, a teacher, and a resource.