[Si] TV

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Alright, I know you got a lot going on, so I’ll keep this clean and tight. Many people don’t think about Mexico’s history in a way that recognizes Africa in the Mixteca-Mexica-Mayan mix. But some of the few that do are artists and musicians— like-minded people that grew up on Hip Hop and the human rights movements that preceded Hip Hop. Among some of the Mexican kids reppin’ for plurality from south of the border are the musicians of Cojolites. Hailing from Jaltipan, Veracruz, los Cojolites are part of a growing ‘rescate’ or rescue movement aimed at celebrating a 500 year old tradition of song, dance, and consciousness. The tradition is Son Jarocho. Composed of indigenous, African, and European elements, it’s to Mexico what Jazz is to the US. I went to check out the crew recently when they visited Santa Ana. Homeboys get down, down, down. These are brothers and sisters, who make their own instruments, teach workshops, perform, and make the world a better place by making beautiful music as part of a tradition older than most countries in this hemisphere. It’s dignity and grace, style and flavor at its core. For those of you not familiar with Son Jarocho, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. Remember when you first heard of what you thought was just another band from east L.A. named Los Lobos? And remember how when you first heard of them it was because of a little gem of a movie called Bamba? Well, la Bamba is a Son Jarocho standard. Son = song. Jarocho = a person from the state of Veracruz. So, Son Jarocho is literally, a Song from Veracruz. You see? If you know La Bamba, you know the tip of the Son Jarocho iceberg. And because “bamba” itself is a word of African origin, you’ve just entered into the Mexico’s African lexicon. In fact, many of Son Jarocho’s lyrics center on notions of blackness. The songs are full of “morenitas,” “prieta lindas,” and even verses like “Luna Negra, Negra luna / Color de me madre” (Black Moon, Black Moon / the color of my mother). I’m telling you, it’s much deeper than anyone lets on. But back to the Cojolites. A while after their performance, I heard one of their songs sampled by this kid named Olmeca, an M.C. out of el Sereno, Los Angeles. I had to go peep him at Imix bookstore, one of the City’s most prized culture spots, over in Eagle Rock. When I got there, family had veggie tacos on the grill and the vibe was so chill I think I caught a cold. Olmeca went on and blew the Cojolites sample track right off. The brother can spit, and he’s strictly on some politics. L.A. is alive with so much Latin flavor, no wonder the immigration issue keeps getting run into the ground: no one can stand the heat.