"La Morena": An Exploration of National Identity Through Folklórico Veracruzano
Publisher
The University of Arizona.Rights
Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction, presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.Abstract
Folkloric dance in Mexico is a powerful tool which defines national identity and perpetuates ideas of race and how it functions in Mexican society. Mestizaje has been the main racial and national identity perpetuated in these performances and narratives, commonly excluding African influence. Son jarocho, a folkloric dance and music genre from the state of Veracruz, is a clear example of a tradition with strong African influence and is one of the most popular styles of folkloric song and dance to come from Mexico. Veracruz also has a long history of Afro-Mexican presence, being the point in which enslaved peoples were brought into Mexico, but also is home to long histories of colonial resistance. This history of African influence in son jarocho has been largely hidden behind reimaginations which center mestizo, and especially Spanish or European, influences. This is especially visible in the dances created and popularized by Amalia Hernandez which are meant to present son jarocho but instead are based off of them, creating a distinction between the two styles: fandango veracruzano and jarocho blanco. However, in the past decade, maestros, or teachers of folklorico, along with community members of the pueblos in Veracruz who have begun to share these histories and roots of son jarocho through means of performances and even social media. Through various interviews with maestros based in Xalapa and observations of practice sessions, these differences and the ways in which maestros seek to present these original influences to a larger public. This thesis explores the role of African influence in son jarocho and how it has and continues to contribute to new understandings of national and racial identity in Mexico and abroad.Type
Electronic Thesistext
Degree Name
M.A.Degree Level
mastersDegree Program
Graduate CollegeLatin American Studies