It has always seemed appropriate to me that the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, in their monograph Geografia Espanola del Toro de Lidia, uses the valleys of the major rivers of Spain to structure their study by geographical area. In it the ganaderías are pinpointed along the courses of the Duero, the Ebro, the Tagus, the […]
Continue Reading
Para bailar la bamba Para bailar la bamba Se necesita Una poca de gracia Una poca de gracia Y otra cosita Can you hear Ritchie Valens belting that one out? One of Rock and Roll’s most copied songs (from garage bands, movies, and college marching bands, to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir). La Bamba is an […]
Continue Reading
In January 1992, looking for the roots of the musical form called son jarocho, I made a pilgrimage to the river port town of Tlacotalpan, Veracruz. At dawn, as I boarded the southbound bus from the port of Veracruz, I was as excited as a child on Christmas morning. Tlacotalpan — the self-proclaimed heart of the […]
Continue ReadingWhatever it is, it’s been three years in incubation. Over the course of these years I’ve often mentioned my book, my interviewees, my agent, my excitement and my depression over the labor of my first non-fiction book, Midlife Mavericks: Women Reinventing Their Lives in Mexico. I was lucky enough to find a well-reputed agent in New […]
Continue Reading
The north shore of Lake Chapala is alive with the arts in all their manifestations. Music and dance — from folk to classical, theater in English at the Lakeside Little Theatre, book clubs and creative writing groups complement the offering of galleries. Here are some suggestions to get you started. The telephone numbers are local. […]
Continue ReadingMoralistic, prejudiced, racist, misogynist, manipulative, sexist, daring, exciting, critical, sarcastic and passionate – these are just a few adjectives that commonly describe Mexico’s most widely-read publication: the historieta . The historieta’s origin can be thought of as rather diffuse, considering that it is based on a synthesis of icons and texts wound into a single message. But […]
Continue Reading
The first major motion picture shown in North America was in Mexico City in 1896. From then on, the world would be ablaze in a new era of culture, innovation, and energy. Movies and short film reels would be viewed in cinemas, which spread like wild fire across the United States due to the popularity […]
Continue ReadingStating what it means to be Mexican is not an easy topic to define, but the rural education system helps in forming a sense of being Mexico for many young people in Michoacán’s rural areas. The history of Mexico contains many conflicts and battles. During the years of the conquest and colonization, the people of […]
Continue ReadingLa Loteria is an old game of chance played throughout Mexico. It first became popular in the last half of the eighteenth century and although it is rapidly being replaced by modern, electronic games, it is still widely played at festivals, fairs and carnivals. Despite its name La Lotería most resembles a form of bingo […]
Continue ReadingVILLAGE IN THE SUN HOUSE IN THE SUN CANDELARIA’S COOKBOOK ALL by DANE CHANDOS These books were written in the early 1940s and VILLAGE IN THE SUN is still considered to be one of the most endearing books written about Mexico to this day. Set in the area of Ajijic, Jalisco, it gives a delightful view of […]
Continue Reading