INDIGENA PROJECTS
​
INSPIRATION

the following  words continue to inspire
to show that it is, obviously, not true

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“The music of the Aztecs was unworthy of so cultivated a people.
They were not acquainted with stringed instruments; those they used 
were confined to the “huehuetle”, ​the “teponastle,” trumpets, sea-shells,
and flutes - generally made of terra-cotta - which produced shrill sounds....
the sound they produced can be imagined; it certainly lacked harmony

Drums, flutes, even conch shells accompanied the hymns sung in the temples,
which were chanted in a sing-song manner, in a rude, monotonous tune,
fatiguing to European ears. 

But the Aztecs took so much pleasure in them that they frequently sang
during entire days. In spite of this taste music is the only art that remained
in infancy among them. Bad musicians, the Mexicans.

On the other hand, were very skillful in the art of dancing, in which they exercised themselves under the direction of priests from childhood. Their dances, which were of great variety, had different names.
​They danced in circles, or arranged in files, between which a dancer executed fancy steps.

The women often took part in this amusement. For this recreation the nobles
put on their most costly clothes, and decked themselves with jewels of gold,
of silver, or of feathers.”

THE AZTECS
Their History, Manners, and Customs
FROM THE FRENCH OF LUCIEN BIART 
(Published 1887)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“From the remaining exemplars of Aztec instruments preserved in the National Museum of Mexico, we may infer that the music the people during the pre-Conquest era was as barbarous and harsh as were the ceremonies at which their music was heard…

The conch shell, the Mixtecan tun, the teponaztli, the chicahuaztli, the sonaja, the Zapotec chirimia and the Yaqui tambor, are not instruments capable of producing either alone, or in conjunction with each other, a grateful harmony:
nor can the sound of any of them induce a spiritual response that is in harmony with presently accepted standards of behavior"
EL ARTE MUSICAL EN MEXICO
Published under the official Direction in General de las Bellas Arte
Alba Herrera y Ogazon
(Published 1917)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RESONANCIA

The SOUND  of the instruments resonate within each person who experiences it, 
regardless of age,
background,
context,
culture,
ethnicity,
or
​financial status
in
cathedrals, 
concert halls, 
classrooms
with danzantes, 
indoors,
libraries, 
on mountain tops,
outdoors,
by river sides, 
universities,
as a featured soloist, 
or with a chamber group
​or symphonic orchestra
​or as a lecturer

The  SOUND calls everyone and brings us together,
if only for a few moments, 
and then, 
the moments gone
but never from our EXPERIENCE.................

Always a BLESSING to be invited either as a composer, performer 
or collaborator with  indigenous instruments of Mexico, Meso America
or any of my other instruments 

THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE TIME TO VISIT
​Christopher Garcia
"I am playing my huehuetl, 
I who hunt for songs to awaken and fire our friends
whose hearts lie listless, 
for whom the day does not yet break-
those who sleep in comas, 
those who glory in gloomy night when 
the flowering dawn already sings her song
and when once again morn lightens the place where 
huehuetls play..........."

the poem
​XOPAN CUICATL 
from
CANTARES EN IDIOMA MEXICANO
http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0071-16752013000100012 
Garcia has  the privilege of being invited 
as a performer/composer/improviser to 
perform in 28 countries on 5 continents 
featured on either

      drumset
      indigenous instruments of Mexico/Mesoamerica
      marimba
      percussion instruments of North and South India     
      El Monstro

His original compositions for either
​
pedal harp,
violin
​classical guitar
mixed chamber ensemble
percussion ensemble
piano forte

have been performed in  
​
        AUSTRALIA
        ASIA
        EUROPE
        MEXICO
        NORTH and SOUTH AMERICA

and he was the only composer/performer chosen to participate at the
QL LATIN AMERICAN CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL in 2013
​  
and in January of 2020 Garcia was also invited to participate and present at
DEFINING NEW DIRECTIONS IN LATN AMERICAN
and LATINO CONCERT MUSIC EXPLORATORY SEMINAR
@
THE RADCLIFFE INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDY 
@ HARVARD 
https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/latmusic/people/christopher-garcia
and his educational YOUTUBES
https://christophergarciamusic.weebly.com/indigenous-youtubes.html
currently have over 120,000 visitors​

CLICK ON THE BUTTON BELOW 
for a list of compositions 
​
CLICK
on any image below
​for additional information 


INDIGENA ​SOLO
RESONANCIA - SOLO PRESENTATION
INDIGENA ​COLLABORATIONS
FLOWER SONGS        GARCIA/DUARTE      AQUI Y AHORA  
​MUSIC
CHAMBER MUSIC 
COMPOSITIONS
COMPOSITIONS for

GARCIA GODINEZ      MEXICO                        MEXCLA 
​DUO                                 ATEMPORAL               MUSIC
​PEDAL HARP                           ​                          PIANOFORTE                                                CLASSICAL GUITAR         
​LEVER HARP                                                     ELECTRONICS                                              CHARANGO, JARANA         
VIOLIN                                                                 SAMPLING                                                     REQUINTO JAROCHO   

WOODWIND QUINTET

​MULTI MEDIA COMPOSITIONS
RESONANCIA                 
COMPOSITIONS  FOR INDIGENOUS, FOLKLORIC, CLASSICAL MUSICIANS,
​POETRY AND VOICE
​LOST TRIBES PRODUCTIONS 
IXONEZTLI Y GARCIA COLLABORATIONS
    
THE INFINITE                          THE DAWN OF MANKIND                                        
EXPANSION OF SOUND                                                                                           
MISA AZTECA CHAMBER VERSION
composed by
Joseph Julian Gonzalez
as 
​performer/improviser 
Garcia invited to play ayoyotes, teponaztli, tlapan huehuetl
SYMPHONIC  COLLABORATIONS
​MISA AZTECA SYMPHONIC ORATORIO
​composed by
Joseph Julian Gonzalez
as 
​performer/improviser 
Garcia invited to play ayoyotes, teponaztli, tlapan huehuetl
DOCUMENTARY COLLABORATIONS
EDUCATIONAL COLLABORATIONS
PERCUSSION MASTER CLASS 
for
BAKERSFIELD SYMPHONY          UCLA SYMPHONY
in preparation for performances of
CARLOS CHAVEZ - SINFONIA INDIA
SILVESTER REVUELTAS - SENSEMAYA
​SELECT PREVIOUS PERFORMANCES 

as featured
performer/improviser

or featured
composer/performer/improviser 
and usually several times at each venue mentioned

ART ON THIRD
Chula Vista, CA USA 

BOWERS MUSEUM
Santa Ana, CA 

CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF THE ARTS
Valencia, CA

CARMEN CASTELLANO FINE ARTS CENTER
San Jose State University, San Jose, CA

CARNEGIE HALL
Edinburgh Scotland, UK

CERRITOS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Cerritos, CA, USA

DAVE  ALPERT LECTURE HALL
Los Angeles, CA USA

HERB  ALPERT CONCERT HALL
Los Angeles, CA USA

DISNEY CONCERT HALL
Valencia CA USA 

EL CHARCO DEL INGENIO
San Miguel de Allende, MX

EL CASTILLO DE CHAPULTEPEC,
Mexico City, MX 

FUNCACION SEBASTIAN
Mexico City, MX 

THE GETTY CENTER
Los Angeles, CA USA

THE GETTY VILLA
Pacific Palisades, CA USA

GREAT CATHEDRAL OF LOS ANGELES
Los Angeles, CA USA

GRIEG MUSIC HALL
Bergen, Norway

HARRISON HOUSE
Joshua Tree, CA USA

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Boston, MA USA

JON ANSON FORD THEATRE
Los Angeles, CA, USA

LA PENA CULTURAL CENTER
Berkeley CA, USA

LATIN AMERICAN CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
San Francisco, CA, USA

LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART
Los Angeles, CA, USA

LOS ANGELES THEATER CENTER
Los Angeles, CA, USA

MACLA
Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana 
San Jose, CA, USA

MEXICAN HERITAGE PLAZA
School of Arts and Culture
San Jose, CA, USA

OAKLAND SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS
Oakland, CA , USA

PASADENA CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC
Pasadena, CA, USA 

POPPER THEATER
UCLA
Los Angeles, CA USA

REDCAT THEATRE/WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
Los Angeles, CA USA

SOKA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
San Diego, CA, USA

SCHOENBERG HALL
UCLA
Los Angeles, CA USA 

SOUTH PASADENA MUSIC CENTER AND CONSERVATORY
South Pasadena, CA USA

ST. KATHARINEN CATHEDRAL
​Hamburg, Germany

TEATRO ANGELA PERALTA
ENCUENTRO NACIONAL DE JAZZ
San Miguel de Allende, MX

TEATRO DEL BICENTARIO
Leon, Guanajuato

TEATRO DE LA CUIDAD
Mexico City, MX

WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
Los Angeles, CA, USA

WESTERBECK RECITAL HALL
Center for the Arts, 
Pasadena, CA USA

THE WILD BEAST
California Institute of the Arts, CA, USA