The here and now... and what and why

Complacency is a trap. At least that’s what I was thinking when I up and left the comfort of a Yankee prep school gig, where I taught music, amongst other things, for 28 years. There was also that life long career as a composer, musician and artist.

First, it was a year in St. Thomas, USVI, working as a reporter and shooting photography and then, a year in San Agustin Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Time passed.
More time passed and a year back in the Athens of America followed by a hasty return to Oaxaca where it is all happening.
A couple of years in San Sebastian Etla and now, just down the road in San Pablo Etla. Life is good.

Click on an image to see it larger.
For additional photography please visit my flickr page.
You can find my music on Jango (World & latin - Worldbeat) and at iTunes and most online stores.
¡Soy consciente de todas las tradiciones del Internet!
If you are coming to Oaxaca, please contact me for tours or advice.

Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo
The view from Corazon del Pueblo

The hereafter re me

My photo
Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico
Musician, photographer, videographer, reporter, ex-officio teacher, now attempting to be a world traveler

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

They start young in Teotitlan del Valle

One of the things I realized quite a while ago was that in order to really bask in the natural essence of any one culture (and truly grok it), one must be born into that culture.  Think samba and Brazil or Cuban rhythms or here in Oaxaca, carrying heavy canastas or penachos on your head and dancing. 
Sure, you can learn how to samba or play Cuban music, but I am talkin' about being born into something, so that it is precognitive.  I see it all the time here with little kids, who do things so naturally that they are not even thinking about it.  And they are good at it.
I see three-year-olds doing things I wish I could, like the steps to the danza de las plumas.  So it was great to see the infantiles doing their thing in front of the municipal building in Teotitlan del Valle on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
The once and future Monctezuma?
Doña Marina
It is highly competitive and a great honor to be one of the official dancers.  I know that as soon as women become pregnant and know they will have a girl, they start thinking about the child being either Malinche or Doña Marina.  It is a very serious competition.  The current girls are six.  They will be nine when they finish and I assume their replacements have already been chosen.
These kids are good already, ready for prime time.
Lots of help from parents who were anxiously standing by with water and advice.
Look at that face!  No wonder the traditions live on.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice picgures! also, you are rigth the last one is a winner.

K

Anonymous said...

How perfect and so sweet! Great pictures.

Nightreading said...

So nice to see those little ones to be inspired while so very young.

Like in many other forms of arts/sports (ballet, gymnastics, figure skating, violin, etc.) they have to start at a very tender age to be good in all they do later in life....