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Chaac Percusiones México
Mayan and Aztec Instruments from Mexico
In 2005 Chaac Percusiones Mexico emerged as a project doing research on the sounds,
instruments and tradition of music among the pre-Hispanic cultures in the Mexico area
(Mesoamerica); mainly on Mayan and Aztec cultures.
Some of our lectures, clinics, and recitals in Mexico, Argentina, England, Canada and the USA:
Northern Illinois University World Music Festival 2010, TMEA 2011, PASIC 2007, VI Festival
Internacional de Percusion Patagonia 2008, London Royal College of Music 2010, National
University of Mexico-Music Education Festival 2011, Longueil Percussions Festival 2012.
In 2008 Sistema Chiapaneco de Radio y Television (Chiapas, Mexico) broadcasted a live
program with the group. In 2009 National Public Radio (USA) broadcasted nationally an
interview with David Lopez. From 2009-2010 the music of the group was used in the exhibition
"Moctezuma: Aztec Ruler", at the British Museum, in London.
Members: Lonny Benoit, Tom Nevill, Michael Segura, directed by David Lopez.
PROGRAM
Ometéotl
David Lopez
Danza de Concheros
David Lopez
Tamboreros
Xvet Bautista & David Lopez
Ba’ate’el
Alejandra Odgers
Corazón de Fuego
David Lopez
PROGRAM NOTES
Ometéotl
This piece is intended to display a variety of instruments that we would use through the
performance: rattles from different materials (clay, gourd, and metal), turtle shell, water drums,
clay kettle drums, scraper, log drum (teponaztle), single skin wooden drum (huehuetl), and a clay
ocarine.
Ometeotl is word in Nahuatl, the original language of the Aztecs, it refers to the femenine and
masculine side of things, as we can observe in nature. The work consists of two contrasting
sections; the first section is somewhat simple and meditative, the second section resembles two
cylces of nature, differing in lenght, so that they overlap each other, when the two cyles coincide
there are more embelishments and excitement
Danza de Concheros
This piece is based on a “Concheros” dance, as you could notice in the huehuetl part and the
sounds produced by string rattles attached to the dancer´s legs. The string rattles are made out of
dry fruits known in Mexico as “huesos de fraile” (monk´s bones). The dancer also holds a sonaja
in one of his/her hands.
The most characteristic part of the huehuetl and dancer in a Conchero’s dance has been used as a
base rhythm on what a compositional work was done. The piece has two different sones or
sections. In the first section there are many triplet rhythms, in the second one we find more
eighteenth and sixteenth rhythms. This work uses elements that we still can notice in many
indigenous communities nowadays and that were probably used by pre-Hispanic cultures. As far
as we know, many times the music was intimately linked to dance, the complexity and intensity
of alternating parts match those of the dancer throughout the piece.
Tamboreros This piece is based on a poem by Xvet Bautista, who speaks and composes poems in her native language
Tzotzil, a language spoken in Chiapas, Mexico. This language is associated with the original Mayan
language.
The piece was composed to display the natural rhythm and inflections found in speaking Tzotzil. We
imitate the rhythms and sounds of the language with our drums.
Here s the translation of the poem:
Tamboreros (Drummers), by Xvet Bautista
They spell the sounds of flutes
They knit the voice of drums
The vibrations of time travel to people
Angels of mind traveling through centuries
They kept the wisdom
A germination of new descendants
Applause of music fly
And kiss the spirit of gods
The prayers of sacred batmen
Messengers of the celebration
Echoes of ancient trees
Forged in smiles
Roots of the first people
Ba’ate’el (The Fight)
This piece was composed by Alejandra Odgers with the support of the Sistema Nacional de Creadores de
México FONCA 2011-2013.
The title means war, but also battle or fight. We all fight for something, or against something in life. This
piece was dedicated to Francisco Raggi,a friend of the composer, a man who always lived full of joy, he
fought cancer for two years, then he lost the battle.
This piece represents the war, but also the many different kinds of fights we all have to go through in life.
Corazón de Fuego
This piece relates to the Mesoamerica post-classical arqueological period, that is the reason why one can
hear instruments made out of metal that originated in this period. Other instruments we use in live
performances are the multiple scraper and the water drum (made out of a natural gourd and a receptacle
filled with water). This piece also features the two most used instruments by pre-Columbian civilizations;
the huehuetl and the teponaztli.
In Corazón de Fuego (Heart of Fire) the natural whistling described by the conquerors has been replaced
with the whistling of clay ocarines and flutes. Generally speaking, the piece develops the idea of growing
speed and intensity. We also notice this idea in the complexity of the parts played live, but the alternating
“chaos” part happens only at the beginning. The work evokes one of the main uses of music in the preHispanic Mexico; the praise to gods.
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