Juchitan
This past week the music class went on quite a few adventures. On monday we met with an instrument maker and member of Pasotono Orchestra, Edgar Serralde, at the Biblioteca Infantil. With high energy we constructed simple instruments, like the one stringed sitar of the Hindu tradition, (made from two by fours and a tin can) hollow whistles made from clay, as well as a piece of wood attached to one string, which when wound and twirled, made the sound of a revving car engine. Our clay whistles are to be fired this upcoming friday! With our new toys in hand we set off to talk about how to go about doing Ethnographic recordings and research. Sergio and Ruben, our trusty instructors, explained in great detail, how to interact with subjects in the field, while playing the role of a participant observer. Finally prepared for our Juchitan trip, we set off in the vans once more to the fiery inferno that is known as the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
Upon arrival we ventured to the Cultural Center where upon we viewed gorgeous art exhibits displaying sculptures, photography, and paintings from various artists. The building itself was founded by the artist, Francisco Toledo! After a brief discussion about the Zapotec celebration of the day of the dead, and the local culture's perspective on death; we headed off to their day of the dead celebration at the prime location. The cemetery we visited was full of women selling Iguana and turtle egg tamale's. Each grave or tomb had a cement house built upon it, where the families would gather in celebration of the lives of their dead loved ones. Many of the families were playing or hiring musicians who wandered around the cemetery, in order to listen to the music that their loved ones adored. We visited various sites, to hear a five piece brass and drum group, a troubador and not to mention the grave of a famous erotic Zapotec poet, Marcario Mathus. Lead by Victor Robless, we made our way through the labyrinth like cemetery,
experiencing the friendly salutations, and delicious food. The next day we returned to the Cultural Center/Ecological Forum to watch the Berrelle's or Calavana's, a large ensemble made up of youthful beginner's and advanced adults, who played flutes (recorders), bass and snare drums, as well as tortoise shell drums hammered with deer antlers. Their performance and information that they shared with us was magnificent!
Above: Israel and his 19 month old son, Max
That evening, Israel, a piano player and ethnomusicologist, took our group on a tour around the three most prominent churches of the Tehuantepec area. Each church stood in a different neighborhood and was exhibiting various performances. The performance's were reenacting the last days of Christ, in which he was captures, chained and tortured. The children were brought to the churches and adorned in the white and gold garb of angels or purple velvet cloaks. After the church celebration, we made a pit stop on our way back to the hotel, at the house of Israel in which him and his son, Max (1 year and seven months) performed various songs on the drums, recorder and piano.
On day three we watched the Via Cruz, or the stages of the Cross. Following three different processions, of the Virgin of Mary (as la soledad) and Jesus Christ carrying the cross. Unfortunately, due to heat stroke from the 100 degree sun, we returned to the air conditioning hotel! That final evening, we went to Victor Robless's house to listen to traditional troubadour songs set to Zapotec, and Spanish poetry. His wife, Lupita Ríos, also read some of her beautiful Zapotec poetry to us. We give great thanks to Sergio and Ruben for having such great friends to show us around the Isthmus and explain to us the cultural significance of each extraordinary genre's of music that we heard! We are all sad that our trip is nearing its end, and some farewells have already been made. Thanks to all that have made this program so special and informative!
Jack Laub
Health in Oaxaca: Last class of Food Systems
This past week we all began our final class here in Oaxaca, Food, Health and Culture… crazy huh? With the wonderful Jean-Harvey Berino, we took a deeper look at how the food system is rapidly changing throughout Mexico. Obesity is becoming a growing issue, while many impoverished families in rural areas are still suffering from malnutrition. We explored the main nutritional concerns present in Oaxaca and worked to figure why these problems exist, and possibly ways to combat that.
One activity to further investigate the food system within the city was to look at the items sold in small tiendas or convenient stores, the food sold in the supermarket, and the food sold in the market. As a group, we made some interesting findings. Fresh fruits and vegetables from the markets are less expensive than heavily processed foods found in the tiendas and the supermarkets. We speculated many things as to why consumers choose processed foods, but whether it is convenience, preference, or a status symbol, it is seriously jeopardizing the food system and health here.
As a class, we also did an activity to address our own nutrition while eating here and some of our findings mirrored some of the nutritional issues that are found across Oaxaca. Though we all are in love with the food here, most of us agreed that we missed choosing our own foods and cooking for ourselves to ensure a balanced diet.
In addition to the excitement of a new class, we also had the buzz of semana santa going on around us all week. Most of our homestays were filled with visiting relatives, and the city was filled with tourists from all over Mexico. There were activities in the city going on every night like food festivals, tours of churches, music, firework displays, and what I found most interesting, the Procession of Silence on good Friday.
This week we are continuing Jean’s class by going on several field trips then taking our final exam. Also we will all be hard at work on our independent projects this week because our final presentations are on Saturday. Wish us luck on all our work for the final week of the program!
Much love,
Jocelyn
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