MIM: Son de Madera specializes in son jarocho, the vibrant improvisational music of Veracruz, Mexico, that features jarana and requinto “guitars”, call-and-response singing, and the rhythmic zapateado percussive dance style. For 20-years, Son de Madera has preserved the traditions of son jarocho music while keeping it contemporary and relevant hundreds of years from its inception.
Son jarocho’s beginnings can be traced to the time of Spanish colonization. Veracruz communities absorbed the hints of Arabic culture found in the conquistadors’ songs and dances, as well as musical influences from Africans enslaved in the coastal state during the 16th and 17th centuries. Near the end of the 1800s, jarocho music was formally recognized as a defining part of Mexico’s cultural identity.
I especially enjoy shows that pair cultural aspects along with the music. I definitely felt this evenings show delivered on both. First the musical style was exactly as I expected – light and fun, heavily rhythmic and engrossing. I was not surprised when the band played ‘La Bamba’ prior to the intermission. This is Mexican music.
But where Son de Madera excelled over a restaurant mariachi band was in their performance. The guitarists were exceptional and would accompany the instruments with boisterous voices and stomping feet. The bass was completely new – a box that the musician ‘plucked’ while sitting on it. I spent most of the evening watching the female dancer. She stood on a wooden platform box and her dancing was an instrument in and of itself. With her flowing skirts and beautiful scarves, she was an artist that transported us to a Mexican festival, full of colors and rhythm.
The audience was also fun. Many were Mexican and appreciated that the band only spoke Spanish. They clapped and yelled and brought the whole family, but there was surprisingly no dancing.
All-in-all, an enjoyable concert and something I’d enjoy seeing again.
