Serrano de Corazón by Guillermo Velázquez y los Leones de la Sierra de Xichú (review)

Over the past two decades, Guillermo Velázquez has contributed to the international renown of the huapango arribeño tradition. Together with Los Leones de la Sierra de Xichú, founded in 1983, his work has played a major role in the current fame of this musical genre, which was previously known only in local circles. Although the album Serrano de Corazón is the latest recording in an already-vast catalog, it represents the first time that Velázquez and Los Leones have collaborated with researchers at the Smithsonian Institute (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings).

In an era when comprehensive albums have been replaced with decontextualized track lists available on digital media platforms, this album reminds us of the virtues of launching a product that is not only a pleasure to listen to but also an educational and useful resource for both specialists and untrained ears. With federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool (administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center), this CD is accompanied by a brief essay by huapango arribeño specialist and lead producer of the album Alex E. Chavez. The forty-page bilingual booklet provides a brief ethnographic description of a topada, the social event that frames this music genre. Following is a historical and cultural account of the huapango arribeño with a detailed structural characterization of the music and a description of the career trajectory of Los Leones de la Sierra de Xichú. Each song on the CD is accompanied by explanatory commentary from Guillermo Velázquez and Alex Chavez. The booklet includes photographs of the musicians and the location, which provide information about the cultural context that gave rise to this musical practice. This illustrative document thus provides insights into both the persistence of longstanding traditions and the processes of community building through music and poetry. Most fortunately for international audiences, the booklet is available as a free download at the Smithsonian Folkways website. Only Mexican Musical Testimony, the specialized collection published by Mexico's National Institute of History and Anthropology (INAH)—available online through the recently launched Media Library at the INAH Page—compares to the quality of this kind of academically oriented release.

This album is available as a conventional CD and as a downloadable audio file in MP3 and FLAC formats. Unlike similar ethnomusicology-oriented albums recorded in the field, Serrano de corazón was recorded in a studio, which allows for detailed attention to sound quality and a fine mixing of instruments, voice, and the zapateado percussion. The synchronicity of the virtuoso violin melodies as they duplicate the vocal lines in "Saludo y pinto mi raya" and "Si todo fuera al revés" exemplifies the dexterity of the musicians and attests to the many years they have played together. Recording techniques also enhance the listener's experience: in "Brota mi canto y se ufana," sung by Isabel "Chabe" Flores, for example, the recording techniques bring the performer's raspy timbre to the forefront, allowing for listeners to more easily appreciate the expression of defiance of stereotypes about submissive women, instead celebrating those who are empowered.

With the exception of one track, Guillermo Velázquez composed all of songs on the album. Born in Xichú, Guanajuato, in 1948, Velázquez is a former seminarian—therefore not only a skilled poet and musician but also a humanist versed in areas such as philosophy, literature, and theology. His biography contextualizes the lyrical content of many of his songs voicing or supporting the causes of migrants as well as numerous other causes in favor of greater social justice, including denouncing Mexico's distressing current violence and political cynicism. The closing track, "Con un indignado amor," is the one that most closely captures collective feelings of dejection in the face of the recent political course of action in Mexico. Slower than other live versions, in this one the violin circles around the...