On April 30th, 2025, Lehman College played host to a vibrant celebration of Son Jarocho and Música de Cuerdas, showcasing the traditions and community spirit woven into this rich musical heritage. The event, held at the Lehman College Amphitheater, offered a blend of scholarly insight and captivating performance, highlighting the ongoing efforts to reclaim and revitalize these musical forms.
An Intimate Afternoon of Music and Dialogue
The afternoon began with Dr. Agustina Checa of Lehman College warmly welcoming the audience. Instead of a formal lecture, Carlos Cuestas sat alongside Colectivo Altepee and Jarochicanos members. The air filled with anticipation as the musicians offered short musical interludes, punctuated by a conversational Q/A with Carlos. The warm summer day provided the perfect backdrop as the musicians explained the nuances of the jarana, the requinto, and the quijada, demonstrating the unique sounds of each instrument. Audience members learned about the history, the social context, and the personal journeys that led these artists to embrace Son Jarocho. This created an intimate atmosphere where the music came alive, connecting performers and listeners in a shared experience.
Colectivo Altepee: Tradition as Transformation
The heart of the event was undoubtedly the performance by Colectivo Altepee and Jarochicanos. Colectivo Altepee, a collective of young musicians founded in Acayucan, Veracruz, took the stage to share their dedication to preserving and revitalizing the regional styles of traditional Afro-Indigenous music from southern Veracruz, known as música de jarana, or Son Jarocho. Since 2010, they have been documenting local elders’ musical styles and personal histories, using this knowledge to promote social construction and transformation. Their performance was a testament to their commitment to the arts, the appropriation of public and communal spaces, and the right to self-determination of the people and the defense of their territory. Audience members had the opportunity to witness the beauty of this music firsthand while also learning about the misconceptions and stereotypes surrounding even the label of “Son Jarocho” as a genre from Vera Cruz. The musicians emphasized the deep colonial history of music categorization and how it tends to restrict the borderless characteristics of the musical practice itself, rooted in community, improvisation, indigenous epistemology, and connection, both transnationally and locally.
Jarochicanos: Building Community Through Music
Jarochicanos, formed in 2008 as a youth workshop, followed with their dynamic performance. They showcased how Son Jarocho can be a powerful tool for creating community-based projects and addressing the uprooting of cultural and historical knowledge. Through initiatives like Talleres en la 18, Jarana All Stars, and Tiendita de la 18, Jarochicanos actively create spaces where past ways of life and historical knowledge can be shared, practiced, and remembered in an urban, American setting. Their performance underscored the transformative potential of music in fostering community and preserving cultural heritage.
Combining the sunny weather with the sons name after connections to natural elements and animals, such as El Carpintero, brought a unique sentiment to the event. We were even treated to the improvising of Son Jarocho’s lyrical practice, where members of Colectivo Altepee and Jarochicanos recited verses written on the spot.
This event marks the last HISAM event for the 2024-2025 academic year, but surely not the last of its kind.
Follow the groups on Instagram:
@colectivo-altepee
@jarochicanos
