((PKG)) SON JAROCHO
((TRT: 12:38))
((Topic Banner: LA Fandango))
((Reporter/Camera/Editor/Producer: Arturo Martinez))
((Map: Los Angeles, California))
((Main character: 1 male))
((Sub characters: 1 female; 1 male))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher and Luthier))
My name is César Castro. I am a musician from traditional music from Mexico called, son jarocho. I also teach that music in different places.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Son jarocho is festive music played with [the string instrument] jarana. And we sing stories, different ones. They're not songs. Your verse is your own version of the night.
((NATS/MUSIC))
Ariles and more Ariles, Ariles back and forth.
With times and travels, things got messed up.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
I came to the US probably 17 years ago, knowing how to play, how to sing, how to dance and how to make instruments. And I use this work to avoid going to get those day jobs: stamp things, serve things, clean things. And it has an impact on my cultural project. Because I feel part of this project of son jarocho in L.A.
((NATS/MUSIC))
Bringing in new songs
coming from Afro-Andalusia
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
It was never a job. No, it was creating community, creating this music scene. I didn't even remember that part.
((Xochi Flores
Musician, Community Worker))
Chuy and I have better memory.
((NATS))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
My little taller [workshop]. This place is being my man cave, as they call it here in the US, for years. We call this job laudería [string instrument making]. I've made hundreds of instruments.
((NATS))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
This one comes from a center where they…it's called Tia Chucha's in Los Angeles. This is from 2010. A lot of people learned on this jarana. They practiced a lot of hours, a lot of smiles, some frustration at the beginning. So, I'm going to send them back with a new top, ready to keep going for another ten years.
((NATS))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Look, my workshop is not fancy at all and it's on purpose. It's like a little ranchito [simple ranch]. This used to be a very important income. I knew that the demand for instruments was coming because people were very excited about son jarocho. And I'm carrying this knowledge from Veracruz. I was 15 years old when I started. And that's the reason I keep fixing instruments so they can make more fandangos [Veracruz-style dance party] so we can have kids out of trouble. I think, thanks to the music, I was able to change the direction of my possible destiny in the hood.
((Photo Courtesy: César Castro))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Growing up in a poor neighborhood, music made it easy for me to just say, ‘no’ to do something stupid in the streets. And when you carry a guitar, no matter where in the world, people already think of you like, "He is not a danger."
So, that's something that I didn't know but the guitar was doing that to me.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Video Courtesy: Eric Coleman))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
So, when I go to schools or different places and also teach in state prisons here in California, I hope that someone has a similar shift in their life.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
All right. Congratulations. You just played your first song.
Yeah, actually, I forgot. It's a conscious movement of culture in order to keep the good things that we believe, good things in our society. And that’s one of them.
((end Video Courtesy))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
With my class, what I can offer, I feel that, okay, here. There's some of us who want to help you in supporting your decision of going in the right direction. And I enjoy it because you have no cell phones, nothing. It's just there. You focus. It's pretty much like old school.
((Video Courtesy: Eric Coleman))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
So, we write things on paper, a lot of conversations, and the attention is amazing, the best.
((end Video Courtesy))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Chuy Sandoval
Musician))
KQBH-LP, Los Angeles, California, 101.5 FM, a community service of Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory, broadcasting live on your FM dial and streaming on LPFM.LA.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Hi there, friends. How are you? Good morning, afternoon or evening. Welcome, welcome once again to this, your show, Radio Jarochelo, with Chuy Sandoval, who feels very excited today.
Rogelio Delgadillo says, "Greetings from San Luis Potosi. Super radio show to set a long early morning of work.”
Well, Rogelio, with coffee and son, you're good to go. And if there is someone listening from Europe, enjoy the morning with a little son. And Chuy, what do you have for us?
((Chuy Sandoval
Musician))
I'm going to play it first and then we'll talk about it.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
This is a community radio station. I got invited to be part of it since its very beginning. Doing Spanish radio in L.A. is very important to us, to the immigrant communities, to the elders who might be sometimes lonely.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Chuy Sandoval
Musician))
There are communities in and around L.A. that listen to and practice and learn about son jarocho. It should have its own platform, even if it's just twice a month.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Fandangos,...
((Chuy Sandoval
Musician))
All good, sorry.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Lucía is Ramón Gutiérrez's daughter...
((Chuy Sandoval
Musician))
Los Tigres del Norte [norteño music band]
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Which song did they play?
((Chuy Sandoval
Musician))
They played...
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
I'm setting up L.A. van, the party van, the traveling boom, boom. I just go where there's an event happening.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
So, it's more like a mobile DJ kind of thing. Very Caribbean, too out of place here, but it represents part of my culture. So, it's something that excites me.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Boss, that's the van playing music, for all kinds of events outdoors, you get the permit, I'll bring the music.
((NATS))
Thank you.
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
This is a neighborhood market. Right now, what I'm expecting is to get some contracts for another event, just in case one day, they see this in a different place. They're the ones moving. I don't move that much. You see, coffee in a tricycle, sound in a van. We're creative people here.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
So far, I haven't been like making money. So, I'm hoping that that picks up because I put a lot of hours and sweat, but only one paid gig.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Part of me feels that this project is going to end up being that, you know, that weird thing that people develop in their lives, like going fishing, playing domino. It's fun.
((NATS))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
This is El Sereno, with a very old school. My wife went to this school. So, she's from this area. I came here to L.A. via the Chicano-Chicana community and I'm an honorarium Chicano, definitely. I married a Chicana
((Photo Courtesy: César Castro))
and her family is very Chicana. So yes, I'm definitely with them.
((Xochi Flores
Musician, Community Worker))
Chicano-Chicana, it's like someone who is of Mexican descent, who was born here and who is politically aligned with working people. Son jarocho is a tool that Chicano-Chicanx movement has
((Photo Courtesy: César Castro))
kind of enveloped and morphed into something
((Xochi Flores
Musician, Community Worker))
that we use as a form of expression as well.
((NATS))
No Dream. No Deal.
No Dream. No Deal.
((NATS))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Son jarocho finds its place on people who work in social justice and that's how we started to develop these projects together. And then you start seeing jaranas on demonstrations around the city.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
I beg you,
I beg you from the bottom of my heart for a permanent residency.
For a permanent residency and the reason behind it.
And if I don't fight, I won't win.
I won't win. I won't win.
((NATS))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Well, Chicano culture has influenced me a lot. I see L.A. through their lens. And you start driving around and you see gentrification. You see homelessness. You see the discrimination. And in my music and my verses then all that comes out.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
One day as you go for a walk,
One day as you go for a walk,
One day as you go for a walk,
like normal, like normal.
And out of nowhere,
And out of nowhere,
And out of nowhere,
you get fatally shot,
fatally shot.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
So, let's all go by bike, and let's all go by truck.
And I'll carry the [protest] sign, the sign, the sign.
And you'll carry the [protest] banner.
And let's go by train...
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
La Manta [son jarocho-adapted song], that one came with the Black Lives Matter movement. So, I just put out a little story, like imagine yourself going out to…in the streets, all of a sudden, you get attacked because the way you look. That's not just. That's not right. Who does that? Why?
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Many don’t like it.
Many don't like it.
And I'll carry the sign, the sign, the sign.
And you'll carry the banner.
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
Yes, this way of life, yes, of course, can be difficult. But which one is just easy? So, I always have to think of that. It's like, oh, okay, come on, why are you complaining? You are able to live in your house and spend a lot of time near your family. And then through son jarocho, I've met beautiful people. Like I got uncles, aunties, grandparents through son jarocho community. And I am thankful.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((César Castro
Musician, Teacher, Luthier))
And I'll carry the sign, the sign, the sign that I'm writing.
((NATS/MUSIC))