Veracruz Dance and Music
Jarocho is a term that refers to the people and culture of southern Veracruz, along Mexico's eastern coast. Son jarocho
describes one unqiue style of music and dance from that region, noted for
its emphasis on improvisation and variations in rhythm. Noted son jarocho artist and
scholar Timothy Harding writes that many of the dance styles in
Veracruz have their
origins in the 17th and 18th centuries, with the influence of dances
like the Fandago that migrated from Spain. Spanish influences can
also be noted in the music’s structure, verse forms, and
stringed instruments. Also, because African slaves were used in plantation agriculture until the
early 19th century, the region bears the influence of the music
developed by both slaves and free blacks. Dr. Harding notes that much of the music of the
region has African singing characteristics, such as call and
response, slurring notes in intervals
in the scale, and an "irreverent attitude" developed among a people who were on
the margins of Indian and Spanish society. For more information, visit www.conjuntojardin.com.
 Cascada de Flores will perform Son Jarocho in People Like Me 2006,
based on the story of the
region and the combinations of cultures that
came together to give rise to this dance
and music style. With
percussive footwork reminiscent of the Spanish roots, call
and
response song styles from the African heritage, and animal imagery
hailing
from the Indigenous peoples of the region, the intersection of
cultural expression in
this piece brings the beauty of Veracruz to life.
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