The mariachi and Mexican music at IULM

Culture - 08 October 2024

October 29 a concert-lecture in Auditorium

IULM University is pleased to announce an extraordinary event dedicated to the cultural richness of Mexico, a concert-lecture entitled La Sandunga. "Si tu me cantas... yo siempre vivo y nunca muero", to be held on October 29, at 7 p.m., in the Auditorium (IULM 6).

La Sandunga is an ancient musical and cultural tradition from the region of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, which refers to the role of arts and communication in transfiguring rites of passage. The unique event will explore the deep connection between mestizaje (cultural crossbreading) and the death-life relationship in the Mexican tradition. Through an immersive performance, music and dance will take viewers on a historical journey that combines pre-Hispanic traditions, the colonial period, Mexican cultural traditions, bolero, mariachi music, son veracruzano, to the popular rhythms of cumbia, drawing a mosaic of Latin sounds. The event will be enhanced by a 3-D image exhibit, a photographic path and an installation dedicated to the día de muertos tradition and pre-Columbian cultures. The event, coordinated by musicologist Elizabeth Espindola of the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, will feature the Mariachi "Real de Santiago," the Orquesta de las Flores of the Asociación de Arte y Cultura Mexicana, and the Compañía de Danza Folclórica of the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Azcapotzalco.

Below is the program for the evening:

  • Greetings from Rector Prof. Gianni Canova, Prof. Massimo de Giuseppe and Consul Alma Escobedo, Consulate General of Mexico in Milan;
  • Death and Life: introduction and explanation of the Altar of the Dead, with a photographic tour dedicated to pre-Columbian cultures;
  • Pre-Hispanic Mexico: display of pre-Hispanic instruments and rituals, with instrumental music dedicated to the relationship between the living and the dead;
  • Music of the Conquest: songs and narratives about myths and legends related to the Conquest of Mexico;
  • Tierra Mestiza: songs by Gerardo Tamez illustrating Mexican musical fusion;
  • Ancient and traditional Mariachi: performances by the Mariachi "Real de Santiago," with traditional songs such as Son de la Negra and El carretero;
  • Musical diversity of Mexico: mosaic of Latin rhythms that influence contemporary Mexican music, with songs such as Cielito Lindo and Mambo 8.

¡Que viva la vida!

To register for the event, you must fill out this form