Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Blog posts
Smithsonian staff publications
Blog posts
Published Date:
Sun, 03 Jul 2016 11:23:00 GMT
Description:
<figure id="attachment_24442"><img class="size-full wp-image-24442" src="/media/blog/images/2016/07/requinto.jpg" alt="Russell Rodriguez and Ramón Gutiérrez (left) in The Studio. Photo by Ying Diao" width="700" height="467" srcset="/media/blog/images/2016/07/requinto.jpg 700w, /media/blog/images/2016/07/requinto-290x193.jpg 290w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption><div class="figcaption-inner">Russell Rodriguez and Ramón Gutiérrez (right) in The Studio. Photo by Ying Diao</figcaption></figure><p><!--PODCAST PLAYER START--></p> <div class="tag">Audio</div> <div class="card audio-card full-border-card"> <div class="details"> <div class="details-inner"> <div class="title-wrapper no-underline"> <div class="title"> <span class="light"><span class="er">“La Bamba” by Ramón Gutiérrez and Russell Rodriguez</span></span> </div> </div> <div class="audio-player"> <audio class="mejs-player-svg" src="/media/blog/images/2016/07/la-bamba.mp3" data-mejsoptions='{"startVolume": 0.5, "setDimensions": false}'></audio> </div> </div> </div></div><!--END PODCAST--><p>Over the first three days of the Folklife Festival, <a href="https://www.festival.si.edu/2016/sounds-of-california/fandang-obon/smithsonian">Ramón Gutiérrez</a> worked away in The Studio to build a <em>requinto jarocho</em>, a string instrument native to Veracruz, Mexico. On the fourth day, he finished the instrument and immediately launched into song.</p><p>Joined by Alliance for California Traditional Arts program manager Russell Rodriguez, the two quickly attracted a crowd with their <em>son jarocho </em>style. A couple of minutes into “La Bamba,” an audience member jumped onto the <em>tarima </em>(wooden platform) behind them, adding the rhythm of <em>zapateado </em>(percussive dance). Ramón and Russell turned in surprise to see their accompanist, and joyously continued.</p><p><strong>Catch Ramón building more instruments in the <a href="https://www.festival.si.edu/2016/sounds-of-california/smithsonian"><em>Sounds of California</em></a> program until July 4. The Folklife Festival continues July 7 to 10.</strong></p><p><em>Elisa Hough is the editor for the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.</em></p><p><em>The 2016 </em>Sounds of California<em> Smithsonian Folklife Festival program was co-produced with the Alliance for California Traditional Arts, Radio Bilingüe, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, and the Smithsonian Latino Center.</em></p>
