By Anna Paula Maycotte and Tania Govea
San Miguel has a new musical project. Called Electropercussion, its principal instruments are the marimba, the double bass, and drums and other percussion instruments from Mexico and around the world. Tania Govea and Arturo Mendoza—together with local musicians from San Miguel and Queretaro—have put together a musical season of Mexican folk music, jazz, and fusion.
For this concert, they have prepared a traditional repertoire from the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca, which are located in the southeast part of Mexico and where the marimba is a cultural and musical symbol of the region and the traditional instrument that children sometimes learn to play even before learning to speak or read.
The musical styles presented in Mexican marimba music are called son mexicano, zapateado, waltz, polka, paso doble, indigenous dances, boleros, danzon, as well as classical music transcriptions, jazz, and contemporary music, among others.
In this Electropercussion concert we hear to indigenous songs such as “El Indito de Comitan,” “Camino de San Cristobal;” the boleros “Comitan,” “Frenesi,” and “Perfidia;” Oaxacan songs “La Tortuga del Arenal” and “La Sandunga;” and Mexican waltzes like “Las Chiapanecas,” “La Marimba,” and “San Cristobal,” among others.
The concert will take place in the courtyard of the historic Casa Rosada Hotel in downtown San Miguel. Govea will play the marimba, with Mendoza on upright bass and elecric bass. Paty Díaz will sing and play percussion, Isaac Villagomez will be on drums, and chef Daniel Salazar will prepare two typical entrees from Chiapas and Oaxaca. This will be a complete experience with historical references, musical performances, and typical food.
Govea is a multi-instrumentalist in percussion, keyboard, drums, and Latin percussion. She studied at the UNAM National School of Music in Mexico City, along with orchestral percussion at Temple University in Philadelphia, and is also a music therapist. Mendoza comes from a musical family where, together with his brother David Mendoza and their parents, he began playing guitar and electric bass and performing at public events at a very young age. He studied orchestral double bass at the Superior School of Musica from the Fine Arts Council in Mexico City, and he also is a composer, musical director, arranger, and audio engineer.
Electropercussion currently has two recordings available to the public. The first one was released last year and is entitled “Acuarela Mexiquense,” a musical homage to the state of Mexico with 10 original compositions in huapango, bolero, jazz, and danzon. “Tlaxcalli, La Música del Maíz” was released in November 2021 as an historic recording commemorating 500 years since the Spanish conquest of Mexico.
Concert
“Oye La Marimba! Music from Chiapas and Oaxaca”
Electropercussion Music Project
Sat, Apr 2, 4:30pm
Casa Rosada Hotel
Cuna de Allende 12, Centro
750 pesos
(a glass of wine and two traditional entrees included)
Tickets at Biblioteca Pública
