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| The ringing of the bell … |
Sure
enough, the World Music Festival of Chicago held at the Pritzker Pavilion
included an afternoon-into-evening of Mexican-themed musical acts, and ended with
a ceremonial ringing-of-the-bell and the cry of El Grito – a recreation of the “Cry
of Delores” action taken by Father Miguel Hidalgo on this date back in 1810
that began the fight for independence from Spain.
EL
GRITO IS a demand for respect for Mexican people, and a recreation of it is
usually a standard part of any celebration of Mexico Independence Day – which is
Sunday.
But
in this Age of Trump where the nitwits of our society want to use Mexican
people as their punching bag, I’m sure it will bother them that such an act –
along with a public singing of Mexico’s national anthem – occurred on what
otherwise was a beautiful Saturday night in Chicago.
All
of which was a part of the program put on by the Mariachi Herencia de Mexico –
a mariachi band consisting of students from Benito Juarez High School in Chicago
that actually has some talent, has made recordings and has even been nominated
for Grammy awards.
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| … while waving the flag all part of Mexico tribute |
Although
I’m not about to claim that the Saturday evening program was totally inoffensive.
I’M
STILL A little bit freaked out that their program felt the need to include a
musical medley of songs en Ingles
from that 1978 film “Grease.”
Somehow,
the image of John Travolta’s “Danny Zucco” character just doesn’t fit into my
notion of paying tribute to Mexico’s traditions through mariachi music.
Although
for the xenophobes out there who are throwing tantrums about the notion of
Mexican independence being celebrated in this country -- let alone in Chicago, keep in mind that the youthful
mariachis also did a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” that would have
put to shame many a version done by Anglo-oriented musicians.
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| But Star-Spangled Banner got its moment too. Photos by Gregory Tejeda |
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