Mexican music, like many things in Mexican culture, is a mestizaje. Mestizaje means a fusion or mix of things from multiple cultures. We can look at food to find some examples. We talked about Tacos al pastor a few weeks ago, a dish that combines Mexican seasonings and tortillas with Middle-Eastern cooking methods to create a tasty taco. This is just one example of mestizaje.
Let's look at music for more examples of mestizaje. The piano is a very popular instrument around the world. Some of you might even have one in your home whether it is an electric keyboard or an acoustic piano. Did you know that the piano was first invented in Italy over 300 years ago? As the piano has moved around the world, more and more music styles have emerged, making a cool mix (mestizaje!) of European music with music of other continents.
In Mexico, composers like Manuel M. Ponce, José Rolón, and Carlos Chavez liked to mix Mexican rhythms and dances with classical music like sonatas and symphonies. I love Manuel Ponce's Balada Mexicana for piano, which quotes some popular Mexican tunes from the 1930s. Another cool piece is Carlos Chavez's Sinfonía India.
