FLOWER SONGS MUSIC
XOCHICUICATL
MUSICA DE FLOR CANCIONES
Christopher Garcia
Yolanda Delgado Garcia
we would like to
THANK
everyone who made this presentation possible
XOCHICUICATL
MUSICA DE FLOR CANCIONES
Christopher Garcia
Yolanda Delgado Garcia
we would like to
THANK
everyone who made this presentation possible
12/09/22
SUNLAND LIBRARY PRESENTATION
FLOWER SONGS CDS
RESONANCIA
and
RESILENCIA
are available for purchase at
BANDCAMP
christophergarciamusicprojects.bandcamp.com/album/resonancia
The following comes to us from
BELLAS ARTES en Mexico City, MX in 1917
and shows that then, and even now,
the indigenous peoples of THE AMERICAS
continue to be thought of as less than others......
which is one of the reasons we do what we do
to show that the opinion expressed below is false
“From the remaining exemplars of Aztec
instruments preserved in the
National Museum of Mexico,
we may infer that the music of that people
during the pre-Conquest era was as barbarous
and frightful 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)
BELLAS ARTES en Mexico City, MX in 1917
and shows that then, and even now,
the indigenous peoples of THE AMERICAS
continue to be thought of as less than others......
which is one of the reasons we do what we do
to show that the opinion expressed below is false
“From the remaining exemplars of Aztec
instruments preserved in the
National Museum of Mexico,
we may infer that the music of that people
during the pre-Conquest era was as barbarous
and frightful 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)
EXPOSITION PARK LIBRARY PROGRAM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All music composed
and/or
arranged by
Christopher Garcia for
XOCHI CUICATL
unless denoted otherwise
1) XOPAN CUICATL
2) TOXCATL
3) EHECATL
4) A SCATTERING OF JADES - POEM
5) A SCATTERING OF JADES - SONG
6) MALE SEVERIANA+
7) MAYAN CHILDRENS SONG
8) YOL TEOTL
9) THE UNIVERSAL PULSE
10) YO SOY
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
on each song can be found below
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
XOPAN CUICATL
SPRING SONG
CANCION DE LA PRIMAVERA
Poem from
CANTARES MEXICANOS
POEMA DE CANTARES MEXICANOS
EN ESPANOL
"Estoy tocando mi huehuetl,
Yo que busco canciones para despertar
e inspirar a nuestros amigos,
cuyos corazones yacen apáticos,
para quien el día aún no respira,
para los que duermen en coma.
Aquellos que se glorían en la noche sombría,
cuando el amanecer floreciente ya canta su canción,
y cuando una vez más, la mañana ilumina el lugar
donde tocan los huehuetls.. ”
el poema XOPAN CUICATL
de
CANTARES EN IDIOMA MEXICANO
IN ENGLISH
“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 breathe
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 the huehuetls play..........”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TOXCATL EVOCATION
(The Massacre in the temple)
A sonic evocation in the memory of the slaughtering the temple of Tenochtitlan by the Spaniard Pedro de Alvarado, where one of the first things he ordered was the cutting off of the drummer's hands during the ceremony, to start the killing.
For years ethnomusicologists have quoted 16th-century documentation that only 2 pitches could be found on the tlapan huehuetl,
the sounds on this recording are done on 1 drum without sticks, and only with the hands
The reverberating resonance heard throughout the piece is activated by the sound of the tlapan huehuetl being played with hands striking the drum causing the chililitli/gong to resonate in the same room
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EHECATL INVOCATION
The rhythms of this piece are based on the
DANZA de MEXICA/AZTECA called EHECATL
The melody and arrangement are composed by Christopher Garcia
Ehécatl is known as the god of the wind in Mexica and other mesoamerican cultures.
He is usually interpreted as one of the manifestations of Quetzalcóatl,
the plumed serpent,
taking the name of Ehécatl-Quetzalcoatl,
appearing in the breath of living beings and in the breezes that bring rain clouds to the crops.
EHECATL is one of the main creation gods and cultural hero in the world's creation mythologies.
His breath initiates the movement of the Sun,
heralds and pushes aside the rain.
He brings life to what is inert.
He fell in love with a human girl named Mayah,
and gave humanity the ability to love so that she
could reciprocate her passion and also the ability
to fly so that she could reach him.
His love was symbolized with a beautiful tree,
which grows in the place where Ehécatl came to earth.
According to Aztec myth, after the creation of the fifth sun,
it was fixed at a point in the sky, like the moon,
until Ehécatl breathed on them and set them in motion.
He was usually depicted with a red beak-shaped mouth mask.
With it he cleared the way for Tlaloc , god of rain,
and the Tlaloque , lesser gods of rain.
His temples normally had a circular shape, to have less resistance to the wind and help its circulation.
Sometimes it was associated with the four cardinal points, since the wind comes and goes in all directions.
In June 2017, a group of archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) led by Eduardo Matos announced the discovery of the temple of Ehécatl and a ball game in a property located on Guatemala Street in the Historic Center.
This Temple of Ehécatl faced the Templo Mayor,
while the court, located from east to west,
was oriented to the shrine of Huitzilopchtli, the god of war.
This layout of the space represents the combat between the Mexica gods,
but also their collaboration.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A SCATTERING OF JADES
POEM
lyrics
TRANSLATED FROM NAHUATL INTO SPANISH
Ontetepeoac, en chachayaoac
Hubo una siembra,
hubo una dispersión
Esto se dijo de un orador real que aconseja bien a la gente
Después de que él habló
Después de que el discurso fue dicho
ellos entendieron su verdad, le dijeron:
"La gente ha sido informada,
han sido enriquecidos
Ha habido una siembra
ha habido una gran dispersión de jades ".
FLORENTINE CODEX, Vl, 205 v
TRANSLATED FROM SPANISH INTO ENGLISH
There was a sowing,
there was a scattering
This was said of a royal orator
who counsels with people well
after he spoke
after the oration had been delivered
they understood its truth,
they told him:
"The people have been well informed,
they have been enriched.
There has been a sowing
there has been a great scattering of jades."
FLORENTINE CODEX, Vl, 205 v
A SCATTERING OF JADES EVOCATION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A SCATTERING OF JADES
COMPOSITION
The piece is literally a reflection of different notes
within a rhythmic cycle, which is appended,
inverted and played backwards and forward,
where the listener cannot tell where it begins
and where it ends
much like the reflections of a multi faceted jade
and much like LIFE
where one cannot tell where the original reflection begins
and the last reflection ends
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
MAYAN CHILDRENS SONG
INSTRUMENTAL
Inspired by a video of Mayan children playing in the jungle
and stories from Alegria's interactions with Maya children
while in Belize
Composed by Christopher Garcia
MUSIC for
ayotapalkatl - graduated turtle shells
baa wehai - Yaqui water drums
ayoyotes - pod shells tied around the ankle
ehecatl - clay breath instrument
huilacapiztlis - 4 and 5 holed clay and wooden ocarinas
teponaztli - slit drum
tetl - singing stones
tlapan huehuetl - Mexica ceremonial tall vertical drum
tlapitzalli - clay flute’s
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
FLOR CANCION
this piece was originally an improvisation
for a documentary that evolved organically
over time and turned into what you experienced
today
MUSIC for
baa wehai - Yaqui water drums
ayoyotes - pod shells tied around the ankle
huilacapiztli - 2 clay ocarina’s with5 holes each
tawitol’s - musical bows of the Tepehuanos,
a) one strung with metal string,
higher in pitch
b) one strung with gut string,
lower in pitch
tetl - singing stones
tlapan huehuetl - Mexica ceremonial
tall vertical drum
tlapitzalli - 5 hole flute’s,
one made of clay the other of wood
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
YOLTEOTL
"Heart rooted in God/deified heart"
Miguel Leon Portilla
Is an evocation of a LIFE
from our beginnings
before we experience the pulse of life
and thru our journeys and trajectories
e.g.,
our choices, our opportunities and our consequences
which we create throughout our LIFE
Yoltéotl is a Nahua word that means the "heart of God"
or someone who contains an almost spiritual creativity (a "progressive mind").
The word is composed of yollotl ( heart ) and téotl ) (God, spirit, force or movement).
In Yaqui/Chicano spirituality, which may combine aspects of traditional Catholic concepts
(which resonate with all world religions), "Yolteotl" is sometimes compared to the Catholic
concept of the Sacred Heart.
Philosophically, Yolteotl is a state of oneness with the universe achieved through personal efforts,
similar to nirvana in Buddhism , although nirvana is an internal form of perfection while Yolteotl
is an external form of enlightenment directed at creation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AQUI Y AHORA
I am very fortunate to continue to be invited to MAKE MUSIC
in 28 countries on 5 continents
and have experienced many different peoples, languages, customs, foods etc.,
This piece embraces the fact that regardless of how we
choose to identify ourselves, we each share the longest
one pointed meditation prior to our feet touching the
earth, as we are each
INDIGENOUS TO THIS PLANET
regardless of the languages we speak
the color of our skin
the color of our hair
the color of our eyes
or
how we define ourselves
ancestrally,
culturally,
economically,
ethnically,
genetically,
politically,
socially,
or
spiritually
we have each received the longest one pointed mediation of our lives
9 months of rhythmic training
in our MOTHER'S womb
BEFORE our feet touched MOTHER EARTH
270 days
6,480 hours
388,800 minutes
2,332,800 seconds
as human beings we are bound by the tempo of this universal pulse
but the older we get we get caught up in the
rhythms of our lives
the rhythm of our beingness
the rhythm of creating
the rhythm of family
the rhythm of playing
the rhythm of praying
the rhythm of work
relentlessly runs together in and around this pulse
at the same time
ALL THE TIME
and while we continue to make time daily for
work,
family,
friends,
worship,
the internet
and various social media
we rarely make the time to sit with ourselves
and be with ourselves
and be cognizant of this universal pulse
and re align ourselves with it
as most are concerned with the immediate past
or
the impending future
but very rarely in the NOW
AND NOW ONLY HAPPENS NOW
and
NO WHERE ELSE
with and with(in) every millisecond
just like MUSIC
in the moment
at the moment
EVERY moment
and when it stops
we are left with(in) the RESONANCE of our MEMORIES
and the SILENCE that was there before it began
and the SILENCE that resumes after it stops
a RESONANCE we can call upon whenever we wish
and (startlingly) sometimes when we least expect it......
may we continue to strive to live our lives with
INTENTION
why we do what we do
INTEGRITY
how we do what we do
INTENSITY
how often we do what we do
PASSION
which cannot be rehearsed, or bought and paid for
and
BALANCE
probably the most difficult to maintain
ART
LIFE
AND
LIVING
are only as separate when we allow them to be.................
AS WE ARE EACH INDIGENOUS TO THIS PLANET
VIVA LA VIDA
VIVA LA GENTE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
YO SOY
Is based on
GENERACION ESPONTANEA
Composed by Agustin Pimentel for GRUPO TRIBU
The following artists are based in Mexico City
And continue to record these instruments since 1980
ANTONIO ZEPEDA
LUIS PEREZ IXONEZTLI
GRUPO TRIBU
JORGE REYES
RAMIRO RAMIREZ DUARTE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LINKS BELOW
FLOWER SONGS MUSIC SITE
flowersongsmusic.weebly.com/
INDIGENOUS INSTRUMENTS OF MESOAMERICA/MEXICO SITE
indigenousinstrumentsofmexicomesoamerica.w eebly.com/
FLOWER SONGS MUSIC on BANDCAMP
can be listened to on BANDCAMP three times
before BANDCAMP asks if you would like to purchase
christophergarciamusicprojects.bandcamp.com/ album/resonancia
100% of the downloads goes to an
INDIGENOUS ARTS ORGANIZATION
CHRISTOPHER GARCIA @ HARVARD
projects.iq.harvard.edu/latmusic/people/ christopher-garcia
Defining New Directions in Latin American and Latino Concert Music
Exploratory Seminar at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study
projects.iq.harvard.edu/latmusic https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/latmusic/people? page=1
PREVIOUS PERFORMANCES
with over 1200 concerts in 28 countries on 5 continents
christophergarciamusic.weebly.com/ previous-performances.html
6 YOUTUBES demonstrating the instruments with
150,000 PLUS visitors so far
christophergarciamusic.weebly.com/ indigenous-youtubes.html
EDUCATIONAL SITE on
INDIGENOUS INSTRUMENTS OF MEXICO/ MESOAMERICA
indigenousinstrumentsofmexicomesoamerica.weebly.com/
2000 monthly visitors
EDUCATIONAL TESTIMONIALS
christophergarciamusic.weebly.com/ educational-testimonials.html
WORLDWIDE PRESS
from 28 countries on 5 continents
christophergarciamusic.weebly.com/ press.html
CHRISTOPHER GARCIA MUSIC SITE
christophergarciamusic.com/
FLOWER SONGS MUSIC SITE
flowersongsmusic.weebly.com/
INDIGENOUS INSTRUMENTS OF MESOAMERICA/MEXICO SITE
indigenousinstrumentsofmexicomesoamerica.w eebly.com/
FLOWER SONGS MUSIC on BANDCAMP
can be listened to on BANDCAMP three times
before BANDCAMP asks if you would like to purchase
christophergarciamusicprojects.bandcamp.com/ album/resonancia
100% of the downloads goes to an
INDIGENOUS ARTS ORGANIZATION
CHRISTOPHER GARCIA @ HARVARD
projects.iq.harvard.edu/latmusic/people/ christopher-garcia
Defining New Directions in Latin American and Latino Concert Music
Exploratory Seminar at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study
projects.iq.harvard.edu/latmusic https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/latmusic/people? page=1
PREVIOUS PERFORMANCES
with over 1200 concerts in 28 countries on 5 continents
christophergarciamusic.weebly.com/ previous-performances.html
6 YOUTUBES demonstrating the instruments with
150,000 PLUS visitors so far
christophergarciamusic.weebly.com/ indigenous-youtubes.html
EDUCATIONAL SITE on
INDIGENOUS INSTRUMENTS OF MEXICO/ MESOAMERICA
indigenousinstrumentsofmexicomesoamerica.weebly.com/
2000 monthly visitors
EDUCATIONAL TESTIMONIALS
christophergarciamusic.weebly.com/ educational-testimonials.html
WORLDWIDE PRESS
from 28 countries on 5 continents
christophergarciamusic.weebly.com/ press.html
CHRISTOPHER GARCIA MUSIC SITE
christophergarciamusic.com/