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2023 ¡Música del Corazón!

4/11/2024
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¡Música del Corazón!
Tenth Anniversary Celebration

John Donald Robb, Jr. Memorial Concert

Sunday 19 November 2023
3pm show, 2:45pm preconcert roundtable
National Hispanic Cultural Center
Albuquerque Journal Theatre

FREE family-friendly community event


Commemorative Program

View or download (PDF 36.4 MB 44 pages) the 2023 ¡Música del Corazón! commemorative program. View on Heyzine.

Schedule

2:00pm ABQ Journal Theatre lobby 
  • Box Office Opens ~ Although admission is free, the National Hispanic Cultural Center requires all audience members obtain a ticket before entering the theatre. Reserve tickets online: my.nmculture.org/26823/26824. Empty seats and tickets not picked up by 2:40pm will be released to people waiting to attend. Please come early to claim your seat.
  • Performances by Albuquerque High School Mariachi, Rio Grande High School Mariachi, Atrisco Heritage Academy High School Mariachi Herencia, and Santa Fe Youth Symphony Mariachi
  • Visit the John Donald Robb information table and meet members of the Robb Trust Board

2:30pm ABQ Journal Theatre house opens ~ general seating

2:45pm ABQ Journal Theatre stage 
  • Preconcert roundtable with Dr. Carmella Scorcia Pacheco ~ Nineteenth Century New Mexico Women's Ballads, Dr. Adolfo Estrada ~ Mariachi: Mexico's Gift to the World, and Dr. Enrique Lamadrid ~ Jarocho Music of Veracruz and how it became an international movement
3:00pm ABQ Journal Theatre stage 

I. Nuevoméxico
  • Nueva Luna featuring Lara Manzanares, Felix "Gato" Peralta, and Rob Martinez, with special guests Jordan Wax and Santiago Romero of Lone Piñon

II. Jarocho
  • A new mix of Jarocho musicians led by the renowned Laura Rebolloso featuring Carlos Arellano, Claudio Vega, John Welch, with La colectiva de Son Jarocho

Intermission

III. Robb Award for Excellence
  • Robb Award presentation to John Truitt, legendary music educator, composer, flamenco guitarist, and woodwind specialist

IV. Mariachi
  • Mariachi Lobo directed by Robert Lucero, Jr. and assistant directors Monica E Trujillo, Dr. Adolfo Estrada, and José "Chino" Carrillo
 
About

Música del Corazón celebrates its tenth anniversary with our favorite performers in the Nuevoméxicano tradition with Nueva Luna, a conjunto featuring Lara Manzanares, Rob Martínez, and Felix "Gato" Peralta, with special guest Jordan Wax, the founder of Lone Piñón. Two emerging ensembles join us: A new mix of Jarocho musicians under the leadership of the renowned Laura Rebolloso, and UNM's Mariachi Lobo directed by Robert Lucero, Jr., with ethnomusicologist Adolfo Estrada.

We have explored foundational genres of the romancero and cancionero, from Medieval ballads to Revolutionary corridos, Baroque and contemporary fandangos. We remember the music of our hybrid Indo-Hispano rituals and that of Sephardic, Moorish, and Christian spiritualities. We revel with the beloved musical "stepchildren" of New Mexico – Flamenco, Mariachi, Jarocho and Afro-Caribeño. It is so hard to sit still as we indulge ourselves, that we stand up for dance, the embodiment of music, in all its forms. We also honor musical families and the revivals facilitated by teachers and scholars. We have included groups of every size, from soloists to duos and tríos, to conjuntos and even coros.  

The annual Música del Corazón concert is a showcase of the living legacy of John Donald Robb. He carefully recorded and transcribed more than 3000 Hispano folk songs all over New Mexico, the Southwest, Mexico, and Spain. Like romantic and modernist composers before him, he looked to the songs of everyday folk to inspire and inform his own compositions and scholarship. He also provided a living record to us, the musicians, scholars, and teachers of the future. Over the past decade, we have marveled at the persistence and genius of traditional music as it recalls the past, adapts to the present, and shapes the future.
Robb’s extensive field recordings are archived at UNM's Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections.

Educational Outreach

Each year ¡Música del Corazón! delivers several 'eduformaces' lasting approximately 30 to 90 minutes. 2023 ed/outreach events will feature artists performing in the free Sunday 19 November concert at the National Hispanic Cultural Center's Albuquerque Journal Theatre. Educational Outreach presentations typically incorporate Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado Spanish cultural history, dance, and music, as well as folk traditions from Mexico.

All 2023 educational outreach events are free admission and the public is cordially invited to attend:


Wednesday 15 November 2023 2:30p
La colectiva de Son Jarocho ~ Jarocho
Longfellow Elementary

Thursday 16 November 2023 12p
Mariachi Lobo ~ Mariachi
Barelas Senior Center

Thursday 16 November 2023 7p
Mariachi Lobo ~ Mariachi
National Hispanic Cultural Center
Bank of America Theatre
Featuring:
  • Albuquerque High School Mariachi
  • Atrisco Heritage Academy High School Mariachi Herencia
  • Rio Grande High School Mariachi
  • Santa Fe Youth Symphony Mariachi

Friday 17 November 2023 10a
Felix "Gato" Peralta ~ Nuevom
éxicano
National Hispanic Cultural Center
Bank of America Theatre
Reserve seats:
my.nmculture.org/27584/27586 

Friday 17 November 2023 1p
Felix "Gato" Peralta ~ Nuevom
éxicano
National Hispanic Cultural Center
Bank of America Theatre
Reserve seats:
my.nmculture.org/27584/27587 

¡Música del Corazón! Committee

National Hispanic Cultural Center
  • Zack Quintero ~ Executive Director
  • Noël Bella Merriam ~ Artistic Director
  • Maxwell "Max" Maliga ~ Performing Arts Program Manager
  • Elena Baca ~ Interim Education Program Manager
  • Santiago "Santi" Candelaria ~ Performing Arts Technical Supervisor
  • David Rivera ~ Customer Service Supervisor
  • Annette Lujan ~ Volunteer Coordinator

UNM John Donald Robb Musical Trust
  • lisa nevada ~ Musica Committee Chair, Robb Trust Board Member
  • Enrique Lamadrid, PhD ~ Guest Curator, Robb Trust Honorary Board Member
  • Robert Lucero, Jr. ~ Robb Trust Board Chair
  • Rosalia Pacheco, PhD ~ Robb Trust Board, Education Specialist
  • Ana Alonso-Minutti, PhD ~ Robb Trust Archives & Underwriting Committee Chair
  • Robert Tillotson, PhD ~ Robb Trust Board Performance & Education Committee Chair
  • Jim Bonnell ~ Robb Trust Board Secretary, Nominating Committee Chair
  • Chris Orphal ~ Robb Trust Graduate Assistant
  • Thomas Goodrich ~ Robb Trust Program Specialist

Media

Press Release

Click here to read the ¡Música del Corazón! Tenth Anniversary Celebration press release (PDF)

Here is the National Hispanic Cultural Center's ¡Música del Corazón! listing: nhccnm.org/event/musica-del-corazon 

Video Teaser


Interview

Laura Rebolloso sits down with the Robb Trust's Grad Assistant Chris Orphal to discuss the history and sounds of the son jarocho musical tradition.

 

Música del Corazón: Community and the Championing of New Mexican Culture

12/18/2023
by Melissa Rios
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Representation is one of the most powerful displays for marginalized communities. Gathering in numbers in celebration of culture is the acknowledgement that people need to feel represented. The celebration of Música del Corazón’s tenth anniversary as well as the substantial number in attendance are testaments to the importance of this event. Additionally, including local New Mexican singer songwriters as headliners made this event one of great significance in the preservation of New Mexican music.

The pre-concert program consisted of a performance by a high school mariachi group and an interactive folklórico dance lesson.

The concert began with an educational roundtable, which was essential in establishing the connection between the music being celebrated and the deeper meaning it carries for the community (see figure 1). Curator of the event and Distinguished UNM Professor Emeritus Dr. Enrique Lamadrid introduced the musical genre of son jarocho and addressed its reemergence as a popular musical style. The significance of the 1987 film, La Bamba in catapulting Los Lobos and their hybridized son jarocho musical style is a testament to the value of representation in media. UNM Musicology Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Adolfo Estrada introduced mariachi as a pedagogical tool within public schools and higher education institutions and highlighted the importance of representation within school programs. His statement of social empowerment of marginalized groups through mariachi ensembles cemented my feelings of purpose within my own program of study, also centered in mariachi culture. The remarks by Dr. Carmella Scorcia Pacheco (Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Cincinnati) were a fitting introduction to the group Nueva Luna. Learning about Nina Otero-Warren and her contribution to New Mexican women’s right to vote along with an explanation and translation of “El corrido de la votación” piqued my interest since I was unaware that Nina Otero-Warren was recently featured on U.S. currency.
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Figure 1: Educational roundtable (L-R) Carmella Scorcia Pacheco, Adolfo Estrada, Enrique Lamadrid
Hearing Lara Manzanares sing “La finada Pablita Ángel” and “El corrido de la votación” was a treat since she is an incredibly talented singer songwriter, New Mexican music champion, and friend. The inclusion of this group of local musicians whom I have had the honor of sharing stages with and who delight at the most popular locations throughout Albuquerque and surrounding areas was a true demonstration of the concert organizers’ knowledge of current trends within the community (see figure 2). The significance of this cannot be overstated. Oftentimes the world of higher academia can feel distinct from the one lived by community members, especially those in poorer neighborhoods like Barelas. It is for this reason that making the concert free of charge was imperative.
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Figure 2: Two Nuevo Méxicano groups, Nueva Luna and Lone Piñon, perform together. (L-R) Jordan Wax, Rob Martinez, Lara Manzanares, Félix “Gato” Peralta, Santiago Romero. Nueva Luna is Rob, Laura, and Felix. Lone Piñon is Jordan and Santiago.
Laura Rebolloso and her son jarocho group provided a musically delightful and educational experience (see figure 3). It is always a wonder to witness people presenting themselves in the areas they are experts in. Feelings of joy and awe tangibly wafting in the air never fail to make me smile as the rest of the audience realizes they are experiencing and actively participating in a once in a lifetime occurrence (see figure 4).
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Figure 3: Son jarocho ensemble (L-R) Leila Flores-Duenas, John Welch, Laura Rebolloso, Raymundo Pavón, Claudio Vega
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Figure 5: La colectiva de Son Jarocho
I was also elated that John Truitt was the recipient of the Robb award this year. Mr. Truitt is truly a gem of a human being, and we are incredibly fortunate to have him as an educator and mentor here in Albuquerque. In my conversations with him he has always been generous with his time and wisdom. When I was fortunate enough to play in a guitar ensemble that he composed and conducted the music for, the advice and many anecdotes that he shared are still some of my most treasured and most quoted memories. His touching speech was as inspiring as it was educational, which is precisely how I would describe him. It was also an unexpected gift getting to hear Mr. Truitt play as well as getting to see the impromptu flamenco dance that Eva Encinias and family performed as a tribute to him. To me, that was the highlight of the show (see figure 5).
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Figure 5: Impromptu flamenco dance in honor of John Truitt by Eva Encinias and company
Concluding the concert with Mariachi Lobo from UNM was a fitting way to close the celebratory evening. The establishment of a mariachi group at the university level also cannot be overstated since it is immensely necessary for representation of the community in which UNM belongs to (see figure 6). The mentorship and engagement with said community is what I am looking forward to being a part of in the next semester when I join the ensemble. Música del Corazón 2023 was a celebration of transnational cultures, cementing that the musical genres included in the program do not simply exist in Mexico and Spain, but are intrinsically intertwined within the fabric of New Mexico. I am enormously grateful to have attended an event that showcased the musical traditions that have been a part of this community for centuries.
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Figure 6: UNM Mariachi Lobo, UNM Folklórico, and son jarocho guests
About the author
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Melissa Rios is a singer, songwriter, and teacher originally from Las Cruces, NM. She has twenty years of performance experience in mariachi and various music genres, and recently released her third studio album of all original songs, Sunlight (2023). She is currently pursuing a master’s in musicology at the University of New Mexico.

Visit Melissa at melissariosmusic.com.

 

2022 ¡Música del Corazón! Sun 13 Nov 3p

7/7/2022
¡Música del Corazón!
Baroque Fandangos of New Spain and Historic Fandangos of New Mexico!

Sunday 13 November 2022
2:30pm
National Hispanic Cultural Center ~ Albuquerque Journal Theatre
FREE Admission
Download 2022 Commemorative Program

Featured Artists
  • Lone Piñon
  • other featured artists to be announced

Schedule of Events

2:00pm
  • Box Office Opens ~ Although ¡Música del Corazón! is a free event, National Hispanic Cultural Center requires each audience member to obtain a ticket prior to entering the theatre
  • Visit the John Donald Robb information table
  • Meet members of the UNM Robb Trust Board

2:30pm
  • Listen to a discussion about fandangos with Brenda M. Romero, Ph.D. and Dr. Enrique Lamadrid, Ph.D.
  • Take dance lessons with Alex Manzanares and members of Ballet Folklórico Santa Fe

3:00pm
  • Noe Garcia Jacinto ~ Spanish and Baroque Guitar, with choreographer and dancer Carlos Menchaca
  • A special presentation of the 2022 Robb Award to Noberta Fresquez, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Mariachi Spectacular de Albuquerque, for Excellence in Southwestern Music
  • Lone Piñon ~ Orquesta Típica featuring Jordan Wax, Tanya Núñez, Karina Wilson, Santiago Romero, with Ballet Folklórico Santa Fe

Guest Curator Statement

Fandangos are an intercultural tradition of intertwined music, lyric, and dance that spread to the most remote corners of the colonies of Spain by the year 1700. Over the next three centuries, they evolved into venues of resistance, empowerment, and liberation. Fandangos are also celebrations for special occasions and saints' day feasts. In colonial New Spain, all social sectors participated, from village fiestas to royal courts. Baroque and Classical Spanish composers like Santiago de Murcia reintroduced these Mexican musical traditions back to Spain. The first nineteenth century American visitors to California and New Mexico danced in and wrote about fandangos with great enthusiasm. What were New Mexican fandangos like and how did they evolve into the bailes still enjoyed today? ~ Enrique Lamadrid, Ph.D.

2022 Production Committee

National Hispanic Cultural Center
  • Noël Bella Merriam ~ Artistic Director
  • Dr. Rosalia Pacheco ~ Education Program Manager
  • Andres Martinez ~ Technical Director
  • David Rivera ~ Box Office Manager

UNM John Donald Robb Musical Trust
  • Enrique Lamadrid, Ph.D. ~ Guest Curator
  • lisa nevada ~ Música Production Committee Chair
  • Robert Lucero, Jr. ~ Board Chair
  • Jim Bonnell ~ Board Secretary
  • Robert Tillotson, Ph.D. ~ Performance & Education Committee Chair
  • Christoper Orphal ~ Graduate Assistant
  • Thomas Goodrich ~ Program Specialist











 

2021 Robb Award ~ Dr. Brenda M. Romero

11/8/2021

Read More
 

2021 ¡Música del Corazón! Sun 14 Nov 3p

10/28/2021

Read More
 

2020 ¡Música del Corazón! Sun Nov 3p

11/11/2020
Join us on the NHCC YouTube channel for this special online event.

Read More
 

2019 ¡Música del Corazón! Wed 13 Nov 7:30p

11/11/2019
In this anniversary year, we are happy to showcase the Robb Trust's Sixth Annual John Donald Robb, Jr. concert.

Read More
 

Enrique R. Lamadrid awarded ANLE's 2019 “Enrique Anderson Imbert” national prize

5/1/2019
APRIL 29, 2019

Read More
 
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