Musical Ritual in Mexico City: From the Aztec to NAFTA

Pedelty, Mark

ISBN 10: 0292702310 / ISBN 13: 9780292702318

Published by University of Texas Press, 2004

About this Item

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: Musical Ritual in Mexico City: From the Aztec to NAFTA
• Publisher: University of Texas Press
• Publication Date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0292702310
• ISBN 13: 9780292702318
• Binding: hardcover
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

On the Zócalo, the main square of Mexico City, Mexico's entire musical history is performed every day. "Mexica" percussionists drum and dance to the music of Aztec rituals on the open plaza. Inside the Metropolitan Cathedral, choristers sing colonial villancicos. Outside the National Palace, the Mexican army marching band plays the "Himno Nacional," a vestige of the nineteenth century. And all around the square, people listen to the contemporary sounds of pop, rock, and música grupera. In all, some seven centuries of music maintain a living presence in the modern city.

This book offers an up-to-date, comprehensive history and ethnography of musical rituals in the world's largest city. Mark Pedelty details the dominant musical rites of the Aztec, colonial, national, revolutionary, modern, and contemporary eras, analyzing the role that musical ritual played in governance, resistance, and social change. His approach is twofold. Historical chapters describe the rituals and their functions, while ethnographic chapters explore how these musical forms continue to resonate in contemporary Mexican society. As a whole, the book provides a living record of cultural continuity, change, and vitality.

About the Author

MARK PEDELTY is Associate Professor on the faculty of the General College at the University of Minnesota.