A year ago I was preparing to leave for Mexico where I would learn the music and dance specific to Xantolo (regional variant of Day of the Dead) celebrations in the Huasteca. As for who to study with, Manolo Zavala was recommended to me by Eloy Zuñiga Guinea as well as Jorge Morenos. Flaunting the recommendation of these two nimble jaraneros (A jaranero is someone who plays the 5 string jarana huasteca) I reached out to Manolo who lives in El Higo (The Fig), Veracruz and he welcomed me to stay and be part of the proceedings. The outcome surpassed my expectations and now I find myself preparing to celebrate Xantolo in Toronto with Eloy, Manolo and another of my teachers, Yuyú. Full circle! This image is a celebration of their imminent arrival in Canada.
Creating a papercut could be compared to developing a photo from a negative. From the blank page an image is slowly revealed. With some pieces it feels as though the image was already somewhere in the paper and all that I have done is reveal it. Fragility, is another aspect of the process because the paper becomes increasingly delicate as the negative spaces are cut away. On the one hand I aim to create a strong image but in essence it is extremely vulnerable.
When I represent a person in my work I prefer to know the person. In this case the final image is motivated by the visit I am organizing for a Mexican son huasteco trio to Toronto, called Tlacuatzin I stayed with the group's violinist last October in El Higo, Veracruz and he initiated me into the Day of the Dead traditions. While Manolo may not recognize himself in this portrait I feel it is imbued by the memories I have of the time we spent together immersed in the hypnotic melodies and vigorous line dancing that welcome the ancestors upon their return to the realm of the living.
Here is the link to a conversation I had with Open Book Toronto about my new book Lotería Jarocha.
"Initially I knew of the place through music. Over ten years ago I started attending regional Huasteca music festivals in northern Veracruz where the warm reception made me feel part of a community of people sharing an appreciation for the area’s vibrant culture. Unlike my last book, Lotería Jarocha, an explanation of 60 folk songs from Veracruz, I only touch on music here. The emphasis is on the Huasteca’s rich mosaic of indigenous cultures." |
Alec DempsterImages, words and music. Archives
October 2017
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