What do you think?
Rate this book
Bird of Four Hundred Voices: A Mexican American Memoir of Music and Belonging
From the founder of Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy, a profoundly personal exploration of music's power to build cultural bridges that last.
From an early age Eugene Rodriguez knew he was obsessed with music. But he found himself encountering the same two problems again and the chilly professionalism of so much formal music education, and the heinous underrepresentation of Mexican culture in American media. In 1989 he founded Los Cenzontles, a group that offered music education to Bay Area youth, and that gave pride of place to Mexican musical traditions. Bird of Four Hundred Voices follows Rodriguez and Los Cenzontles from their home community in San Pablo, to their journeys to fandangos in Veracruz, to their collaborations with luminaries like Linda Ronstadt and Los Lobos. It is an honest, deeply personal look at the cultural work that confronts historical oppression and joyously challenges cultural borders. And it is a profound celebration of Mexico's musical heritage and its powerful influence on American culture.
From an early age Eugene Rodriguez knew he was obsessed with music. But he found himself encountering the same two problems again and the chilly professionalism of so much formal music education, and the heinous underrepresentation of Mexican culture in American media. In 1989 he founded Los Cenzontles, a group that offered music education to Bay Area youth, and that gave pride of place to Mexican musical traditions. Bird of Four Hundred Voices follows Rodriguez and Los Cenzontles from their home community in San Pablo, to their journeys to fandangos in Veracruz, to their collaborations with luminaries like Linda Ronstadt and Los Lobos. It is an honest, deeply personal look at the cultural work that confronts historical oppression and joyously challenges cultural borders. And it is a profound celebration of Mexico's musical heritage and its powerful influence on American culture.
- GenresMusic
224 pages, Hardcover
Published August 6, 2024
1 person is currently reading
120 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
No one has reviewed this book yet.