• BIENVENIDOS
    • INFORMATION
    • PLACES OF LEARNING
    • PRE HISPANIC?
    • RESEARCH
    • RESONANCIA
  • BREATH INSTRUMENTS
    • MIXTEC IMAGES
  • PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS
  • STRING INSTRUMENTS OF THE AMERICAS
  • INDIGENOUS MUSICIANS
  • CONTEMPORARY DRUMMERS
  • INDIGENOUS YOUTUBES
  • 16TH CENTURY INDIGENOUS DANCE PRACTICES
  • MEXICAN/MEXICAN AMERICAN COMPOSERS
  • CONTACT
  • 21st CENTURY INDIGENA PROJECTS
  Indigenous instrumentsMexicoMesoamerica
Indigenous Instruments of Mexico and Mesoamerica

​​"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.historicas.unam.mx/publicaciones/catalogo/ficha.jsp?id=550


BIENVENIDOS

Whether playing solo,  duo
or with an ensemble, 
a chamber orchestra, 
a symphony orchestra
a theatrical  production, 
or a danza group
several questions are always asked after each performance 
from the audience about the names,
origins and histories of the instruments

This site lists some (not all) of the indigenous instruments 
of Mexico and Mesoamerica

with traditional images of the codices, murals and pottery
i.e.,
​MEXIKA, MIXTEC and MAYAN CODICES and more

as well as modern day images wherever possible,

and modern day practitioners
(it will continue to grow and expand as more and more instruments info will be uploaded)

The instruments  are listed in several different languages,
as the same instruments were known by different names depending 
on the region, the people and their language


My hopes are that  this information goes out 
to let people know 

1)
    that these instruments which have been radio carbondated to 790 A.D.,
    continue to be used  in present time by modern day practitioners with little
     to no changes to the instruments themselves


     they are not "ancient" or forgotten and collecting dust in a museum somewhere
     many  groups across the world continue to utilize these instruments

    The AZTEC exhibit in Melbourne Australia was going strong when I was there
     April 2014 and the local Mexican communities there were  performing danza
     at the exhibit!!!!!
     a humbling experience

     
2)
​      there are many practitioners,
      mostly from Mexico
      who
continue to perform, teach, record and document their work
      since 1980

      each with dozens of amazing recordings 
      (see link below for a list of MUSICOS and  ensembles )    

contemporary indigenous musicians
​3)  
       some modern day educators are involved in:
       instrument making workshops,
       library presentations
       community dance and drum groups

       while others travel worldwide doing all of the above and more

       presenting the beauty, culture, history, instruments and resonance 
      of the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica and Mexico

There will always be many more doors for us to open, 
peek thru and hopefully walk thru 
and discover more of the culture and its past
our ancestral past
as we continue to CELEBRATE 
instead of TOLERATE our differences

AQUI Y AHORA
HERE NOW AND NOWHERE ELSE
VIVA LA GENTE
Christopher


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