Spanish Kinderlachen

The last few weeks have been packed with everything winding down. The Spanish kids tagged along with the music track to the Mixteca. In Tezoatlán, a small pueblo, we observed the celebration of their patron saint, Señor de la Capilla. We couldn't help but see the similarities between this festival and the smells and tastes of any fair you may see in the US. One significant difference was the amazing music. First we heard Susana Harp, a Oaxacan singer who blends European sounds with traditional Mexican music. The next day we were invited to the house of Ruben Lenguas, the music director of Pasatono. He showed us his studio where he makes all of his instruments by hand. We witnessed the orchestra preparing for their show that we would later watch that night. We have been able to go along on a bunch of excursions with the music class. We went to a workshop with two members of Pasatono where we made three different traditional musical instruments. We also took a bike ride through Etla. Sergio, our fearless leader and music teacher, has provided us with some awesome adventures and learning experiences.

Check out Pasatono, they're really amazing! http://www.pasatono.com/