"Nothing in their life to look forward to ... until now"

From Mick Antanaitis, in the Belmont Church "Plog":

Triqui Indians in the state of Oaxaca have the reputation of being an ornery, reclusive, emotionally explosive, and, even violent, people. They fight. They fight with each other—other Triqui clans, villages, and political parties. They fight with other indigenous tribes. They fight with the police and the authorities. They fight with machetes, knives, arson fires, and guns. Just a few weeks ago, two young female Triqui political activists were killed nearby in cold blood. Many other killings are long unsolved. No one talks to outsiders. There is no need. They take care of their own business in their own ways.

“Outsiders” and their influences are generally not tolerated for long. It is not just Christian missionaries who have been run out of their areas, but all kinds of “outsiders.” The gospel has not penetrated very far into the Triqui culture—not from a lack of great trying on the part of some heroic missionaries from all kinds of places and over a long period of time. But it has been tough for the gospel to find the fertile soil that we know exists somewhere among the Triqui people.

However, something new, and incredible, is afoot. At least these 20-25 Triquis are defying the conventional notion that the Triquis will likely remain unresponsive to the message of God found in the Bible for all people. When asked why they come 45 minutes before the 8:00 start time, the elderly couple who arrive first say that for so many, many years they had nothing in their lives that they looked forward to—nothing. But now, they can’t wait for Sunday morning to come. They start thinking about and preparing for the journey on Friday. They can’t wait to fellowship with the others, to enjoy a hot breakfast together provided by their parent Mixteco Indian congregation, to sing songs in their Triqui language, to have the Bible read aloud in Triqui, to have the word taught and explained, to have a safe place to encounter Jesus, to meet other members of the family of God who speak Mixteco, Spanish, and, today, English.

From InTheseTimes.com:

For centuries, the small Triqui indigenous region — a 300 square-mile green oasis situated in the middle of the dry and eroded indigenous Mixteca region of western Oaxaca — has been known for endemic violence. The Triquis resisted Spanish colonial incursions and, in 1823, were the first indigenous people to rise up against the independent Mexican state, successfully beating back an attempt to evict them from their land.

After the Triquis were victorious in defending their territory in two wars — one in 1823, the other in 1843 — the Mexican government decided to shift its approach from direct, armed confrontation to a divide-and-conquer strategy, says Francisco L — pez Bárcenas, a Mixtec indigenous lawyer, historian and author of the forthcoming, San Juan Copala: Political Domination and Popular Resistance.

From the late 19th century to the present, internal divisions in the Triqui region, fomented by the state government, have led to cycles of political killings and massacres.

Labels: english, faith, mexico, spain, spanish

The Tennessean reported here that the Nashville Symphony and incoming director Giancarlo Guerrero will kick of the 2008 First Tennessee Summer Festival with a concert of Spanish Guitar, with an emphasis on "the traditions of Spain and Latin America," according to the Symphony.

From the Tennessean:

Incoming music director Giancarlo Guerrero returns to town to lead a program of works by Latin composers, including Spaniards Manuel De Falla and Joaquín Rodrigo, Brazil's Heitor Villa-Lobos, Mexico's Silvestre Revueltas and Argentina's Alberto Ginastera.

The featured soloist is the Cuban-born guitarist Manuel Barrueco, who has lent his prodigious talents to all kinds of music, from the classic works of Bach and Mozart, to the jazz compositions of Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea, to the contemporary music of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. The emphasis here, however, will be on the alternately percussive and lulling sounds of his Latin heritage.

From the Symphony:

Friday
June 13, 2008, 7:30 p.m.- Laura Turner Concert Hall

Saturday
June 14, 2008, 7:30 p.m.- Laura Turner Concert Hall

Nashville Symphony
Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor
Manuel Barrueco, guitar

De Falla - El sombrero de Tres Picos (Three-Cornered Hat) No. 2
Rodrigo - Concierto de Aranjuez
Villa-Lobos - Bachianas Brasileiras No. 4
Revueltas - Sensemaya
Ginastera - Estancia: Four Dances

Manuel Barrueco is internationally recognized as a superior instrumentalist with a seductive sound and uncommon lyrical gifts. To kick off our next Summer Festival, Barrueco weaves together the traditions of Spain and Latin America for a night of música fantástica!

Summer Festival Feast
Come early and enjoy a Summer Festival supper prepared by our award-winning chefs and accompanied by strolling musicians. The buffet, which is available for purchase at each event, has a sumptuous menu

Photo of Manuel Barrueco from Barrueco.com

Labels: argentina, arts, cuba, mexico, spain

The Nashville Opera Raise Your Glasses fundraising campaign prominently features Manuel, Nashville's Mexican-American tailor to the stars, in a variety of web ads and billboards.

Manuel recently turned 76 with a birthday bash covered by the Tennessean in this story and this set of photos.

From the birthday story:

Legendary couturier Manuel celebrated his 76th birthday with one of his famous all-day fiestas atop the mountain at his Triune-area home.

The event welcomed hundreds of friends, family and well-wishers, with impromptu performances from some of his singer-songwriter pals. Rosie Florez dedicated the tune "Hot Dog" to Manuel's daughter, Morelia,who also served as hostess and emcee for the event. Joshua Black Wilkins also performed, as did Danny Salazar, Rachel Rodriquez and Pino Squillace, who together roused the audience of margarita lovers with a bit of Latin flair.

From the Nashville Opera press release:

Nashville Opera ushered in a new era of drama, spectacle and artistic distinction today as the company unveiled plans for the Noah Liff Opera Center and the Fund for Artistic Excellence. The Opera's $12 million Raise Your Glasses capital campaign will fund the visionary $6 million opera center, the first-ever permanent home for the community-supported nonprofit organization, which has established a reputation for eminence in the 400-year-old art form here in the nation's Music City.

The Raise Your Glasses campaign, which has already garnered three-fourths of its $12 million goal, will also provide for the Fund for Artistic Excellence. The Fund will augment the organization's ability to expand its education and outreach programs and enhance the artistic quality of its productions.

Labels: arts, business, fashion, immigrants, mexico

Click here for the original story.

Labels: arts, events, immigrants, mexico

Música de le Gente / Music of the People Festival

American Roots Music Education and Metro Parks and Recreation celebrate the music of Mexican-Americans

A festive and FREE celebration of Mexican-American music will be presented by American Roots Music Education and Metro Parks and Recreation on Saturday, May 31, 2008 at the newly renovated Coleman Park Community Center.

Throughout the afternoon there will be lots of live music from local bands, including Ocho Treinta, Son Latino and Danny Salazar y Trova Urbana. At 5:00 pm the internationally renowned group from San Antonio, Texas, Los Texmaniacs, will perform.

Children can participate in crafts such as making paper flowers, cowboy hats, embossed tin boxes, lizard keychains and rhythm instruments. A children's folklorico group will perform at 3:30 and there will be lots of piñatas, an exhibit of visual art by Latino artists, and plenty of dancing. Food and drink will be available for sale from local vendors.

FREE and open to the public

Date: Saturday, May 31, 2008
Time: 12:00 - 6:30 PM
Location: Coleman Park Community Center
(corner of Nolensville Road and Thompson Lane), Nashville, TN
Good weather -- outside! Not-so-good weather -- in the gym!

Labels: arts, events, immigrants, mexico

"As widely known as that of any other living man in the Old World or in the New"

"He ought to be hanged for making so many attempts, causing so much bloodshed and never succeeding"

April 19 auction includes Walker portrait and related books, letters

The Saturday, April 19, auction of items from the estate of Margaret Lindsley Warden features a portrait of once-famous Nashvillian William Walker.

In the years leading up to the U.S. Civil War, Walker went from being a Nashville schoolboy to claiming the office of President in both Mexico and Nicaragua and making enemies of entire nations and even Cornelius Vanderbilt (see this article in the Vanderbilt Register).

Walker was the subject of this sentence written by the New York Times in 1857:

The name of William Walker is, by this time, as widely known as that of any other living man in the Old World or in the New.

and this sentence, also by the New York Times, in 1860:

If he be a brigand, and an enemy of the human race, as most civilized people now consider him, he has merited the gallows a dozen times over for divers[e] robberies, murders and piracies; and if he be a hero and philanthropist, he ought to be hanged for making so many attempts, causing so much bloodshed and never succeeding.

as well as this sentence by Nicaraguan poet Ruben Dario in 1912:

The defense against the famous Yankee has remained as one of the most brilliant pages of the history of the five Central American republics.

Walker's history is commemorated by this Nashville historical marker, a picture under this Wikipedia article for the original meaning of the word "filibuster," and a 1987 Ed Harris movie called "Walker," which featured the tag line, "Before Rambo... Before Oliver North..."

From the Tennessean:

The upcoming auction is scheduled in Knoxville in conjunction with three other estate auctions, Eberling said. Among Warden's family treasures to be sold are also a 1505 book from the Lindsleys' family book collection, a portrait of William Walker — one of Nashville's most colorful residents and president of the Republic of Nicaragua in the mid-1850s — family jewelry and silver.

Jim Hoobler, senior curator of art and architecture at the Tennessee State Museum, said he hopes some of the items find a home in the downtown museum.

"She's probably the last in a line of great families," said Hoobler, who knew Warden since the 1970s.

"This is history of Nashville. Our hope here is that we can acquire some of the important items of this collection like the William Walker portrait. These sort of things need to be in public collections where everybody can look at them, not in someone's living room with only one person looking at it."

From the auction description:

Important portrait of William Walker, "The Grey Eyed Man of Destiny", by Nashville artist, George Dury (1817-1894).
The painting is signed on the back, "Dury 1858".
Oil/gouache on paper.
This painting had previously been attributed to artist Washington Cooper in John Edwin Woodrow's book, "John Berrien Lindsley" (illustrated on page 85).

William Walker was a physician, lawyer, and journalist. A Nashvillian, Walker was the only Tennessee born president of another country, the Republic of Nicaragua.

At age 14, Walker graduated from the University of Nashville. He was then awarded a medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania at age 19. He became qualified to practice law in New Orleans in 1847 and later became editor of the New Orleans Crescent. In 1848, he became the editor of the San Francisco Herald.

The "manifest destiny" vision of the time reflected Walker ambitions. In California, He began the efforts of organizing a filibustering expedition to conquer Lower California and the State of Sonora. He invaded Mexico in 1853 and proclaimed himself President of Lower California, violating U.S. neutrality laws. Later in 1853, Walker organized a small expedition of men to conquer Nicaragua. Within five months, he was made commander in chief of the new coalition provisional government of Nicaragua. In 1856, William Walker was elected as the President of Nicaragua. In the summer of 1856, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and San Salvador declared war on Nicaragua.

Cornelius Vanderbilt viewed Walker as a threat to his American Transit Company in Nicaragua and aligned Costa Ricans against him, forcing him to surrender to U.S. Naval Authorities. In 1857, Walker planned his return to Nicaragua with a force of 240 volunteers. Elements of the U.S. Navy demanded his surrender for violating U.S. neutrality acts. Walker was brought back to the U.S. where President James Buchanan and several Senators castigated him for his filibustering activities. Walker became bolstered by a wave of Southern support and unsuccessfully attempted subsequent expeditions to Nicaragua.

In 1860, The blockade maintained by British and American cruisers in the Caribbean forced Walker to take another route to Nicaragua through the east coast of Honduras. He was pursued by a large force of Hondurans and a British war ship. After surrendering to a British captain, Walker and his men were turned over to the Honduran authorities. Walker was given a trial and executed by firing squad on September 12th, 1860.

Note - William Walker was a close friend of Dr. John Berrien Lindsley, and this is the only portrait known painted from life of him. Original frame. Condition - very good condition for age, small tear to upper margin. Dimensions sight 7 1/2" x 9 1/2", frame 13 1/4" x 16 1/4". Circa 1858. Lindsley Warden estate.

Note - Nashville artist, Friedrich Julius George Dury was born in Wurzburg, Bavaria and exhibited at the Munich art Association. He arrived in Nashville in 1850 and painted several prominent Tennesseans including Felix Grundy and Civil War officers including General P.G.T. Beauregard, General William Rosecrans, General George Thomas, Governor Brownlow. He also did bust portraits of Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson.

Additional items with this lot - Four books related to William Walker: "The Southern Dream of a Caribbean Empire, 1854-1861" by Robert E. May, 1973 (signed and inscribed to Margaret Lindsley Warden), "Destiny and Glory" by Edward S. Wallace, 1957 (ex-library copy), and "El Filibustero" by Clinton Rollins (paperback, 1976), with author's signature and inscription to Margaret Lindsley Warden, which reads "The first volume of a set to be enriched by her generous contribution of Walker's letters to Dr. Lindsley (which will be reproduced in a succeeding volume) -- with cordial greetings from the author.", and "Freebooters must die: The Life and Death of William Walker.." by Frederick Rosengarten.

Additional items - a period photo showing two soldiers in a Central American setting standing in front of a fortified building with sandbags surrounding it. Stamped on the back, "MI BOHIO CIENFUEGOS".

Additional item - an eight page letter dated March 1872 Nashville written by J.C. Thompson in which Thompson gives a biographical summary of Walker's life to Scribner's Monthly, New York.

Last item - a letter from Nicaragua by Dr. Alejandro Bolanos Geyer in 1974 transcribing and translating to Spanish articles written by William Walker.

Labels: events, history, immigrants, mexico, nicaragua

Mexican-American, Greek Orthodox, Ukranian traditions

1,500 egg shells

The Tennessean posted this article describing a handful of egg-cracking Easter traditions on display in Nashville. A West Meade Palm Sunday party featured Mexican-American cascarones, or egg shells filled with confetti. More than 150 people cracked over 1,500 egg shells. From pictures of cascarones parties in other places (here and here), it looks like fun.

From the Tennessean:

As a little girl, Mona Tehle remembers making cascarones — confetti eggs — by hand every year with her family. Tehle, who is Mexican-American, grew up in Corpus Christi in South Texas.
...
Cascarones are made from standard chicken eggs; a hole is poked in one side and they're emptied and washed out. Once dry, the shells are filled with confetti. The hole is covered with a slip of tissue paper and glue and the outside, decorated. The process takes several days.

"On Easter, we'd get together with all our relatives and friends somewhere, have a big barbeque and run around and crack them on each other's heads — and your parents' heads, that's the big thing," said Tehle, who is married and has two sons ages 9 and 10.

In 2001, while living in Dallas, she decided to resurrect the practice as a way of sharing her heritage's Easter traditions with her sons. She continued the annual Easter fiesta when they moved to Nashville in 2004.

What started out as a small backyard get-together has since become a big West Meade neighborhood bash. On Palm Sunday, one week before Easter, Tehle's family welcomed 150 guests. There were two piñatas for the kids, margaritas for the adults and Mexican food for everyone. For the grand finale, Tehle had 1,500 cascarones trucked in from Texas for some grand egg cracking.

"I think people enjoy it because it's a real family event," she said. " . . . There's something for adults, and something for the kids. It's a unique event."

According to the Tennessean, other egg-cracking traditions in Nashville include the Greek Orthodox Church's tapping of red eggs together to see whose will break, with the greeting, "Christ is risen" and the response, "Truly, he is risen." And at St. Mary's Book Store and Church Supply on West End, there is an annual demonstration of the Ukranian egg-cracking game with hardboiled eggs.

Photo by Jessica Wilson. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Labels: faith, mexico

Born in Sacramento

Mexican-American family

Grew up hearing Spanish and answering in English

Eric Volz, the immigrant from Nashville to Nicaragua who was cleared of a murder conviction in that Central American country in a case that is still not over, told a group of Belmont University students about the Hispanic portions of his autobiography in the context of a media ethics lecture.

Excerpts from the Tennessean:

Volz was born and raised in Sacramento and considers himself a Californian. He was 13 when his father, a musician, decided to move to Nashville to pursue a musical career.

Growing up, family members spoke to Volz in Spanish and he would answer in English.

His Mexican grandfather was the catalyst for his immersion.

"It was because of him that I really learned the language," Volz said in Spanish. "I learned about the culture, how to read it, write it and talk with the accent."

Volz's Mexican-American family lived in border towns. His mother, Maggie Anthony, was raised in Nogales, Ariz.

He went to several high schools and remained interested in Latin America and added another hobby — photography. He went to school at the University of California, San Diego, and majored in Latin American cultural studies.

Photo source: Friends of Eric Volz

Labels: english, immigrants, mexico, nicaragua, spanish

"My concept of poverty changed"

InsideVandy has this recap of a student's experience in Uruguay as a part of Vanderbilt Hillel's Alternative Spring Break, which immerses students in service. According to its web site, Vanderbilt Hillel is "the center of Jewish life at Vanderbilt, serving the religious, social, and educational needs of the undergraduate and graduate Jewish student communities."

Hillel has spent previous Spring Breaks in other Latin American countries, including Mexico (recap here and picture here), Cuba, and Argentina (video recap here).

Excerpts from the Uruguay recap:

We went to connect with the large Jewish population in Montevideo but also to somehow accomplish the arduous task of building four houses for four impoverished families before we left the country.
...
My concept of poverty changed. The impoverished individuals I saw had family, community, love and hope. Families worked alongside one another and laughed.

Excerpts from the Mexico recap:

That is to say, what part, if any, of Judaism provides the impetus to want to help others? Students read a number of Jewish readings during the course of the week that dealt with such concepts as the significance that every human being is created in the image of G-d, the impact of globalization on the world community and the importance of action accompanying thought.
...
To be a good person, it is important to give as much as you can and then give some more.

Labels: argentina, cuba, education, mexico, uruguay

Judge John Rich: "About half my friends were Spanish kids - Mexican kids - and their first language was Spanish"

The Canadian Press is one of many international sources to report the newly minted Latin/country crossover star that is Julio Iglesias, Jr., who earned that title with his win of the Nashville-based reality show "Gone Country." Airing on CMT, the show featured an American-Idol-style showdown of various non-country artists taking a stab at country music, including Iglesias, Jr. On his way to victory, the Madrid-born, Miami-raised crooner stopped by Manuel's Nashville shop to pick up some bona fide country duds (episode info here).

Judge John Rich of Big & Rich said in his blog that he picked Iglesias because of his "X Factor" with both male and female fans, but also because of the missing Hispanic element in modern country music:

I think, that Julio Iglesias Jr. brings an element to country music that does not exist -- and that being the Spanish-English element. I remember growing up in Texas and hearing Johnny Rodriguez on my radio station, and about half my friends were Spanish kids -- Mexican kids -- and their first language was Spanish. They were all my buddies. I remember Johnny Rodriguez turning them on to country music. They liked it, but it wasn't something they completely related to until they saw Johnny Rodriguez.

Well, I think, it's been 30 years since that, and I think it's time we pay attention to that audience again. I see Spanish-speaking people coming to Big & Rich shows by the hundreds and thousands, depending on the part of the country that we're in, and right now, there's nobody in our format speaking to that audience.

Big & Rich have included bilingual Spanish/English raps on at least one album before, and Hispanic artists have done fairly well on at least other country music reality show - see John Arthur Martinez' second place finish and Melanie Torres' top-ten spot on Nashville Star. The country music industry has commissioned reports and engaging in soul-searching and head-scratching about what Hispanic interest in country music could mean for the business.

Julio Iglesias, Jr.'s winning Gone Country video performance, which includes bilingual English/Spanish lyrics, is here.

Labels: arts, business, english, immigrants, mexico, spain, spanish

Also: Hispanic identity through the eyes of congressional interns

The Nashville Post reported here in January that U.S. Congressman Jim Cooper (D-Nashville) hired Lisa Quigley as his chief of staff. Quigley's family spent the last three years in Mexico, according to the story:

For the past three years, Quigley has been living in Mexico City with her family, and has worked as Director of the U.S.-Mexico Congressional Initiative at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. ... Quigley will live in Nashville, splitting time between Cooper's Nashville and Washington offices. ... Larry Harrington, Quigley's husband, a Tennessee native and Vanderbilt Law School grad, is well known in Nashville political circles and is concluding an assignment with the Inter-American Development Bank. Harrington, brother of former Nashville General Sessions Judge Penny Harrington, served in the office of then Vice President Al Gore before being appointed US Executive Director of IADB by President Bill Clinton. At the conclusion of his presidential appointment, he stayed on to work for the bank in Mexico.

Speaking of Washington, this Washington Post article from last July provides a unique insight into U.S. Hispanic identity through the eyes of congressional interns. Here is an excerpt:

Washington makes them mad. And it inspires them.

It also has made them think deeply about who they are, and where they fit into this turbulent feat of political imagination and plain winging-it called America.

Such existential ruminations spark other considerations: Whom do you date? How good (or bad) is your Spanish? How comfortable are you with your skin tone? (Too dark? Too light?) Are you American enough? Is the reputation of la Raza riding on your every move -- or is that perpetual feeling of being watched just an illusion?

Photo by David Porter. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Labels: justice, mexico

Last week's Nashville Scene included this review of Lime, an upscale "Latin fusion" restaurant at 1904 Broadway. Raving about the food, the Scene noted rumblings of poor service that have been repeated elsewhere:

After two consistently excellent meals in the newly opened Lime, we’re looking forward to the summer months, when the garage doors rise and the sleek cocktail crowd pours onto the patios. But it’s worth noting that while our experiences were flawless, we have heard several complaints of inattentive or indifferent waitstaff. With pricey entrées as high as $44 and cocktails clocking in as steep as $13, it’s not unreasonable to insist on flawless service. When the fair-weather crowds storm Lime’s high-visibility patios and tequila bars, it will become even more challenging to deliver a top-quality experience to diners. Then again, Hyndman, who presides over the dining room with the sangfroid of Terry Benedict in Ocean’s Eleven, knows that better than anyone.

The Tennessean reported here that "[t]he menu draws from a multitude of Latin cuisines, including Mexican, Spanish, Cuban and Colombian."

Inside Vandy gave it this favorable review, including props to the wait staff and the attractiveness of the clientele.

Photo by Paul Takamoto. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Labels: colombia, cuba, food, mexico, spain

Road to Beijing 2008 requires win in Nashville

Two spots up for grabs by eight neighboring American countries: USA, Mexico, Canada, Cuba, Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama

Four teams will arrive in Nashville after field narrowed in L.A., Tampa

May 20 semis and May 23 finals here

Seats available from $18 to $65 for each doubleheader

Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and U.S. Soccer have announced that individual tickets for 2008 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying in Los Angeles, Tampa and Nashville will go on sale Wednesday, Jan. 30, at 12 p.m. local time in each market.

The eight-team event, which includes national teams at the Under-23 age level, will be played as eight doubleheaders from March 11-23, 2008, and will send two finalists to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Group A, which includes the United States, Honduras, Cuba and Panama, will play at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. on March 11, 13 and 15. Group B features Canada, Guatemala, Haiti and Mexico facing off on March 12, 14 and 16 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. LP Field in Nashville will host the semifinals on Thursday, March 20, and the championship match and third-place game on Sunday, March 23.

Tickets priced from $18 to $65 for each of the eight doubleheaders in the tournament go on sale beginning Wednesday (January 30) at 12 p.m. local time in each venue through ussoccer.com, by phone at 813-287-8844 (Tampa), 213-480-3232 (Los Angeles) or 615-255-9600 (Nashville) and at local Ticketmaster ticket centers in the venue cities.

In Tampa and Los Angeles (where first round doubleheaders are scheduled), teams competing at those sites will have seats at every price level set aside for their fans, allowing supporters of the same country to sit together. Fans must order online to choose from this allotment.

In Nashville, where the participating teams won’t be known until several days before the semifinal round, seating until the end of the first round will be allocated (based on the local population) for U.S.A., Mexico, and mixed/neutral fan sections at each price level.

Series ticket sales will end on 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 29, for fans looking to buy tickets to all three match dates in each venue.

The U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team is led by head coach Peter Nowak, who is also an assistant on Bob Bradley’s staff with the full team. The team is currently holding a training camp that features top young professionals based both in the U.S. and abroad in Bradenton, Fla., through Feb. 3.

2008 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying

– Details –

Event: Eight-team qualifying event to decide two CONCACAF positions at 2008 Olympics
Dates: March 11-23, 2008
Venues: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Fla.), The Home Depot Center (Carson, Calif.); LP Field (Nashville, Tenn.)
Teams: USA, Mexico, Canada; Cuba, Haiti; Guatemala, Honduras, Panama

– Schedule –

Group A (Tampa, Florida; Raymond James Stadium)
Date Home Visitor Kickoff (local)
March 11 Panama Honduras 5:30 p.m. ET
March 11 USA Cuba 8 p.m. ET

March 13 Honduras Cuba 5:30 p.m. ET
March 13 USA Panama 8 p.m. ET

March 15 Cuba Panama 4:30 p.m. ET
March 15 USA Honduras 7 p.m. ET

Group B (Carson, California; The Home Depot Center)
Date Home Visitor Kickoff (local)
March 12 Haiti Guatemala 5:30 p.m. PT
March 12 Canada Mexico 8 p.m. PT

March 14 Canada Haiti 5:30 p.m. PT
March 14 Mexico Guatemala 8 p.m. PT

March 16 Guatemala Canada 3:30 p.m. PT
March 16 Mexico Haiti 6 p.m. PT

Final Stage (Nashville, Tennessee; LP Field)
Date Matchup Kickoff (local)
March 20 Semifinal 1 * 5 p.m. CT
March 20 Semifinal 2 * 8 p.m. CT

March 23 Third-Place Match 1 p.m. CT
March 23 Final 4 p.m. CT

* Winner advances to 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing

Source: USSoccer.com

Labels: cuba, events, guatemala, honduras, mexico, panama, sports

Spanish conversation group meets across from Belcourt Theatre in Palette Gallery

Twice-monthly Spanish conversation group Charlemos Spanish announced tonight's meeting with speaker Scarlett Martin:

Volunteer interpreter of Spanish, Scarlett Martin, will talk about her work with Siloam Family Health Center at the Thursday 10 January meeting of Charlemos Spanish.

Sister Cities of Nashville’s Spanish conversation group, Charlemos Spanish, meets the second and fourth Thursday of the month from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Palette Gallery and Cafe at 2119 Belcourt Avenue in Hillsboro Village. All levels of Spanish-speakers, from beginner to native, are invited. The event is free and open to the public.

Scarlett Martin is a bilingual mom and volunteer interpreter at Siloam Family Health Center (www.siloamhealth.org). In addition to having studied Spanish, Mrs. Martin and her family have spent one month per year in a Spanish-speaking country for the past ten years. Mrs. Martin became interpreting at Siloam in January 2006.

Siloam is a clinic for the uninsured whose purpose is to provide affordable, high-quality health care to those who slip through the cracks in the health care system because of time, money and language barriers. More than 79% of Siloam’s patients are refugees and immigrants representing 100 different homelands, and over 50% of the patients speak Spanish as their first language. All of the interpreters at Siloam, like Scarlett, are volunteers that donate their time and ability to serve the underserved of our community. Siloam’s mission is to share the love of Christ by serving those in need through health care. (See related stories here and here.)

“As many of the Spanish interpreters are students there is a constant turnover; volunteer coordinator, Beth Eichelberger, is always looking for volunteers”, said Elizabeth Worrell Braswell, president of Charlemos Spanish.

Charlemos Spanish was created in December 2006 by the Spanish Committee of Sister Cities of Nashville, a nonprofit organization, founded in 1990, dedicated to the promotion of global understanding through educational, professional and cultural exchanges.

Sister Cities of Nashville has selected two Spanish-speaking sister cities: Mendoza, Argentina, in the wine country of Argentina, and Girona, Spain, thirty minutes north of Barcelona. Nashville has developed successful student exchanges with both cities. Sister Cities is currently exploring a relationship with Chihuahua, Mexico.

Mayor Karl Dean is the Honorary Chair for Sister Cities of Nashville.

Charlemos Spanish is for persons who wish to:

* Speak Spanish on a regular basis
* Make bilingual friends
* Learn more about Hispanic culture.

The founder and president of Charlemos Spanish is Elizabeth Worrell Braswell. Ms. Braswell is an online Spanish instructor for Austin Peay State University and a board member of Sister Cities of Nashville.

For directions and more information on the gallery go to: www.palettegallerycafe.com

Labels: argentina, events, faith, health, mexico, spain, spanish

From the official WKRN News 2 blog:

Illegal immigration is a controversial topic that’s debated on national and local levels. News 2 flew to El Paso, Texas and spent time on the U.S. / Mexico border to take you to the source of the controversy.

Before we left, we met Bob Brown at his home in Burns, TN. Brown is a member of the Texas Minutemen. The Texas Minutemen are comprised of volunteers from all over the country. Twice a year they gather on the border and patrol for illegal immigrants. If they see an illegal border crossing, they call the U.S. Border Patrol. Meet Bob Brown in Part 1 of the series.

Labels: immigrants, mexico

Airs Wednesday through Friday

WKRN's Volunteer Voters blog has a promo of the station's upcoming three-part, on-location series about the U.S.-Mexico border. The face of the series is Christine Maddela, who already has an award-winning Minuteman report under her belt (see interview here).

More details from Maddela:

The story is a three part series beginning on Wednesday, Nov. 14 on News 2 at 10pm. Here’s the schedule:

Part 1: Wednesday, Nov. 14, News 2 at 10pm
Interview with a TN man who’s a member of the Minutemen. Hear why he packs his bags twice a year and goes to the border with other Minutemen members to watch the border, patrolling for illegal immigrants

Part 2: Thursday, Nov. 15, News 2 at 10pm
Introduction to the US/Mexico border- News 2 tours with the Border Patrol and gives Middle Tennessee a look at our country’s southern border.

Part 3: Friday, Nov. 16, News 2 at 10pm
Hear from one woman who entered the country illegally. She tells us why she’s fighting for a better life for her family.

The purpose of this story is to introduce the U.S./ Mexico border to our viewers in Middle Tennessee. The issue of illegal immigration is a controversial one, and our story shows several sides of the issue in order to educate and start dialogue about the issue.

Volunteer Voters also pointed to this story by WKRN's "That Is Messed Up" reporter Andy Cordan, on loitering-related police raids against international day laborers in a Nashville fast food parking lot.

Labels: immigrants, mexico

Free event features art, food, music, tours

The Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art will host its Eighth Annual Dia de los Muertos celebration next Saturday, October 27:

EL DIA DE LOS MUERTOS AT CHEEKWOOD ON OCTOBER 27, 2007
NASHVILLE, TN – The popular Latin American family celebration, El Dia de los Muertos, will be held at Cheekwood on Saturday, October 27 with activities including live performances, a Mexican marketplace, and interactive art activities for everyone.

Now in its eighth year at Cheekwood, the day-long celebration is a premiere community event for Nashville’s Hispanic population as well as for families throughout the area. Translated as “Day of the Dead,” El Dia de los Muertos is a uniquely Latin celebration of families as they honor their ancestors.

The festivities, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, include activities for families of all cultures to learn about this noted Latin-American tradition and participate in a wide range of activities conducted in both Spanish and English. Cheekwood members are free and regular gate fees apply to non-members.

The schedule includes live performances by Mariachis Alma de Mexico, Serenatta, Danny Salazar y los Cuatro, Grupo Folklorico Hispanoamericano, and Sixto Reyes & Miguel. Art projects include making painting gourds, decorating “the family tree,” making paper marigolds, crafting family journals, making calaveras masks, a “tombstone factory,” creating paper cut-outs, and Spanish Bingo. A unique feature this year, the Alma de Mexico Mariachis will lead 2 parades throughout the grounds during the festival. Cheekwood will also have a resource room which will feature various books, materials, and movies documenting the history and culture of the El Dia de los Muertos holiday.

Available in the Mexican Marketplace will be traditional food, sweets, and arts and crafts. Community altars will be displayed in Botanic Hall and there will be bilingual tours of Cheekwood’s Museum of Art given by Belmont University Spanish students.

Labels: arts, education, events, food, mexico

The Celebration of Cultures will be held this Saturday and Sunday at Centennial Park in Nashville. In association with the Celebration, a Walk As One will take place at 9am Saturday (check-in at 8am near the park's plane and train), and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center will have an open house with free musical performances (Saturday only), including Serenatta and the MTSU Salsa Band. Free shuttles will run between Centennial Park and the Schermerhorn.

Latin influence will abound, including the following demonstrations highlighted by this article in the Tennessean, "Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art will have a project pertaining to the upcoming Latin American holiday El Dia de los Muertos ... American Roots Music Education will perform American traditional music such as ... Tejano, [and] ... Grow Nashville will demonstrate for children how to make salsa from organic vegetables."

Centennial Park returns to its original roots with this event. The original Centennial Exposition on the site included "villages" from around the world, including a Cuban Village with Spanish Sen Sen Dancing Girls (see photo here and description here).

The press release below highlights other Latin highlights of this year's Celebration of Cultures, like the San Rafael Band and "Villages" of Bolivia, Brazil, El Salvador, Mexico, and Peru:

You don’t have to travel the world for exotic food, music, and art. It’s all right here in Nashville at the 11th annual Celebration of Cultures Festival on October 6th and 7th in Centennial Park.

Presented by Metro Parks and Scarritt-Bennett Center, this FREE event will showcase the diversity and highlight the multi-cultural fabric of Nashville. “This festival has proven to be a wonderful opportunity for Nashvillians to learn about the rich mix of cultures we have here,” says Jose Ochoa, Superintendent of Cultural Arts and celebration co-chair for Metro Parks. “It’s also simply a wonderful two days of incredible entertainment, art, and food for everyone to enjoy.”

The festival began over a decade ago by a group that works continually to bring cultures together in Nashville: Scarritt-Bennett. “It’s very important to understand and celebrate the diversity of Nashville‚ to learn about other cultures and to get to know other people’s traditions‚” says Cindy Politte‚ director of marketing for Scarritt-Bennett Center‚ which started the Celebration of Cultures in 1995. “It’s a true potpourri of everything that is Nashville.”

Times are Saturday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and Sunday, 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. The event will feature over forty ethnic dance and musical performances on multiple stages. Entertainers like the San Rafael Band (Latin Jazz), African Drummers (Ghana), Chinese Culture Club (China), Cripple Creek Cloggers (USA), Gary Cady (Native American), Ketsana (Laos), Pega Kadivar (Azerbaijan), and much, much more.

Enter “The Villages” and be transported around the world! New this year, The Villages offers an authentic look at the customs and traditions of Burundi, Ethiopia, Laos, the Philippines, and the Latin American countries of Bolivia, Brazil, El Salvador, Mexico, and Peru. As you walk through, you will hear traditional music in the background as the native language of each area is spoken, and you will see colorful clothing and decorations that are customary for each country.

Original art and imported hand-crafted items will be available for purchase in “The World Market”. A special exhibit called “Nashville’s Internationals” will also be on display at the Centennial Art Center October 5-26, and will be featuring fifteen artists from around the world that now call Nashville home. Plus, a children’s area will include free interactive music and dance programs, storytelling, nature activities, and arts projects.

Celebration of Cultures provides an opportunity for the community to gather, honor, and explore the diversities and ethnicities that make Nashville so unique and culturally enriched.

Parking is free in Centennial Park and in the HCA parking lots off Park Plaza behind the park. Shuttles will run throughout the event to transport people to and from parking in Centennial and at HCA. Plus, Saturday, there will be free shuttles between Centennial Park and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

Photo by Beth Kindig, courtesy of Celebration of Cultures.

Labels: arts, bolivia, cuba, el salvador, events, mexico, peru

Co-sponsored by the Office of Student Unions and Programming and the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs, in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month

Laura Fuentes y Calicanto will bring their Latin urban and roots stylings to MTSU with a performance at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. The concert is free and open to the public.

Earlier in the day, Fuentes will be at a brown bag lunch at 12 noon in the SunTrust Room of the Business and Aerospace Building. MTSU students, staff, faculty and administrators are welcome to attend. Reservations can be made by calling the June Anderson Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or sending an e-mail to jawc@mtsu.edu.

Fuentes, who was born to North American parents in Santiago, Chile, is a classically trained guitarist and vocalist. She lived in Chile until 1973, the year Army Commander-in-Chief Augusto Pinochet overthrew President Salvador Allende in a coup d’etat. The coup and its aftereffects had a great impact on Fuentes’ social consciousness

According to the Web site http://www.realpeoplesmusic.com, “Calicanto is a bridge of warmth and song between musicians from Latin America and audiences from all over the world. Founded by Laura Fuentes in 1996, the Calicanto project gets its name from the historic landmark that once united the shores of the Mapocho River in Santiago, Chile. The core duo of Laura Fuentes and Pedro Villagra join together to light a new fire, celebrating the rich diversity of Latin American music from Chile, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.”

Calicanto is: Fuentes on lead vocals, guitar, cuatro and percussion; Villegra on quena, quenacho, sikus, flute, charango, saxophones and vocals; Patricio Acevedo on guitar, vocals and percussion; Orlando Cabrera, percussion; Raquel Gonzalez Paraiso, violin, mandolin, sikus and vocals; and Robert Schoville, percussion and drum set.

The concert is co-sponsored by the Office of Student Unions and Programming and the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. For more information, contact Intercultural and Diversity Affairs at 615-898-2987.

Labels: arts, chile, mexico, peru, puerto rico, venezuela

Teen category goes to Audrey Taveras

On Saturday, August 11, 2007, Mariela Flores was crowned Miss Tennessee Latina USA 2007-2008, and Audrey Taveras was crowned Miss Teen Tennessee Latina 2007 at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.

The event was emceed by presenters Jonathan Camcam (Director of Festival de las Naciones) and Mrs. Jill Rivera (Mrs. Tennessee 2007). Entertainment was provided by Danny Salazar as well as Rachel Lampa.

The participants competed in personal presentation, modeling, evening wear, and the Miss Tennessee Latina category competed in swimwear as well. One of the primary roles of the future queens is to be a positive role model for the Hispanic community by way of community service.

The two winners will participate as representatives of the Latin beauty of Tennessee in the national Miss America Latina pageant, which will take place next year in Mexico.

In the MISS TENNESSEE LATINA category, the winners are as follows:

* Mariela Flores: Miss Tennessee Latina 2007-2008, of Mexican descent
* First Runner-Up: Karla Neal (Mexico)
* Second Runner-Up: Maryin Chaves (Nicaragua)
* Miss Community Service: Lucia Muñoz (Ecuador)

In the MISS TEEN TENNESSEE LATINA the winners are:

* Audrey Taveras: Miss Teen Tennessee Latina 2007-2008 (of Dominican descent)
* First Runner-Up: Deborah Posada (Nicaragua)
* Second Runner-Up: Cheyenne Garcia (Mexico)
* Miss Teen Community Service: Daisy Garcia (Mexico)

Bios follow:

MISS TEEN TENNESSEE LATINA 2007-2008
Audrey Taveras
16 years old
Morristown, TN
Both parents are Dominicans
She is a Junior at Morristown Hamblen East High School, with a GPA of 3.6.
Her favorite class is Newspaper, where she serves as Arts & Entertainment Editor. She is part of the Downtown Dance Company in
Morristown She is involved in two community service groups.

MISS TENNESSEE LATINA 2007-2008
Mariela Flores
21 years old
Mariela currently works as a personal assistant to one of the most productive real estate agents in the city. She plans to attend college at the beginning of next year. One of her biggest dreams is acting.
Mariela was born October 2, 1986 in the city of Queretaro, Mexico. She is the daughter of Pedro and Irma Flores. In her free time she likes to read, travel, enjoy time with her family and do community work for the Hispanic community.

Photo (Left-Right): Miss Teen Tennessee Latina Audrey Taveras, Miss Tennessee Latina Mariela Flores

Labels: arts, dominican republic, ecuador, immigrants, mexico, nicaragua

The Tennessean reported here on some of the mission work done by Susan Thornton of Williamson County, including construction projects in Mexico for Casas for Cristo:

Thornton accompanied about 50 teens from her church this spring to Juarez, Mexico, where they built three homes for Casas Por Cristo, a nondenominational program that provides spiritual and physical comfort for people suffering poverty's blight.

That mission enabled the young people to make a difference in the border town that's a bridge away and a world removed from El Paso, Texas. In addition to getting livable homes to replace cardboard shelters, families each were given a Spanish-language Bible and urged to seek a local pastor.

The changed lives weren't just those grateful homeowners. The 50 young people from Tennessee's richest county also were awakened to a world harshly unlike their own.

"I got a feeling for what real poverty is," says Zack Liston, 18. "I also got a feeling for what it feels like to make a lasting difference, giving somebody a house."

The young people came back from Mexico wanting to spread their work, and the word, locally. "They want to give back here," Thornton says. "That's hot on my plate now."

Labels: faith, mexico

Davis-Kidd Booksellers announced that Gustavo Arellano will discuss and sign his book Ask a Mexican on Thursday, July 12th at 6:00 p.m.

The Nashville Scene runs the weekly "Ask a Mexican" column, as previously reported here in the Hispanic Nashville Notebook. The latest column can be found here.

From Davis-Kidd's announcement:

An irreverent, hilarious, and informative look at Mexican-American culture is taken by a rising star in the alternative media, as well as a new kid on the block in such mainstream venues as NPR, the LA Times, Today, and The Colbert Report.

Description:
DEAR MEXICAN:

WHAT IS "¡ ASK A MEXICAN " ?

Questions and answers about our spiciest Americans. I explore the cliché s of lowriders, busboys, and housekeepers; drunks and scoundrels; heroes and celebrities; and most important, millions upon millions of law-abiding, patriotic American citizens and their illegal-immigrant cousins who represent some $600 billion in economic power.

WHY SHOULD I READ "¡ ASK A MEXICAN " ?

At 37 million strong (or 13 percent of the U.S. population), Latinos have become America's largest minority -- and beaners make up some two-thirds of that number. I confront the bogeymen of racism, xenophobia, and ignorance prompted by such demographic changes through answering questions put to me by readers of my "¡ Ask a Mexican " column in California's "OC Weekly," I challenge you to find a more entertaining way to immerse yourself in Mexican culture that doesn't involve a taco-and-enchilada combo.

OKAY, WHY DO MEXICANS PARK THEIR CARS ON THE FRONT LAWN?

Where do you want us to park them? The garage we rent out to a family of five? The backyard where we put up our recently immigrated cousins in tool-shack-cum-homes? The street with the red curbs recently approved by city planners? The driveway covered with construction materials for the latest expansion of "la casa"? The nearby school parking lot frequented by cholos on the prowl for a new radio? The lawn is the only spot Mexicans can park their cars without fear of break-ins, drunken crashes, or an unfortunate keying. Besides, what do you think protects us from drive-bys? The cops?

Labels: arts, immigrants, mexico

"The American Revolution used funds collected from people living in the present states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California--then a part of Mexico. An important percentage of financial support originated in New Spain, now called Mexico. Eventually, thousands of Spanish troops fought British troops throughout the Americas."

"One of the more important figures to assist the Colonies' struggle for independence was Bernardo de Gálvez. He helped the cause through diplomatic, financial and military exploits against Great Britain in the Mississippi River Valley, the Gulf Coast, including the Floridas, Louisiana and in in the Gulf of Mexico. from 1776, when he became govenor of Louisiana, until 1783 when the American Revolution ended, Gálvez's patience, audacity, appreciation of frontier people, diplomatic knowledge and military skill greatly contributed to the eventual British defeat."

Source

See also State of Maryland declaration here.

See also this timeline, including thank-you letters to Galvez from prominent American forefathers Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson:

1777 Oct. -- Patrick Henry wrote two letters to General Galvez, thanking Spain for its help and requesting more supplies.

1778 Jan. -- Patrick Henry wrote another letter to General Galvez, thanking Spain for it's help and requesting more supplies.

1779 Nov. 8 -- Thomas Jefferson wrote to Gen. Galvez, expressing his thanks for Spain's assistance during the revolutionary cause.

Labels: mexico, spain

"If anywhere in Nashville represents the American Dream it is ... Nolensville Road"

Las Cazuelas stands out

The Nashville City Paper published this article lauding the ethnic food options on Nashville's Nolensville Road:

"[I]t is easy to make the argument that if anywhere in Nashville represents the American Dream it is the often maligned and misunderstood Nolensville Road."

"There is typically not a single square foot of retail space empty. In fact, more retail space is being built with small businesses opening in every nook and cranny. And, yes, if they are not national retailers, many if not most of those small businesses appear to be owned and run by legal immigrants."

"Take a drive down Nolensville and one notices a seemingly endless array of small eateries, representing a wildly divergent and diverse menu of ethnic cuisines. For all of the claimed diversity of other areas in Nashville, those seeking real diversity and choices in ethnic cuisine might consider actually going to where the city’s immigrants live and work..."

One Mexican restaurant is featured in the article - Las Cazueles at 4114 Nolensville Road - and described as "a cut above the rest" for its "fresh ingredients, more complex menu and preparation."

Labels: business, food, immigrants, mexico

Country music's family ties

Polka band alumni include Pee Wee King, Willie Nelson

"There was a blending"

The Los Angeles Times published this article about the increased demand in Nashville for accordions popular with norteño or conjunto musicians, and how that demand parallels increased migration to Nashville. Norteño/conjunto music has been described this way: "Though heavily influenced by German polka, you could say conjunto is the Mexican version of country music--sentimental, nostalgic, pastoral, and often embraced by the working class."

The L.A. Times article described the immigrants who have come to Nashville in recent years, and one Nashville councilman was quoted with this reaction: "'[I]t's kind of fun having the different flavors... At the same time, we don't have to lie down and give up our culture and heritage.'"

Is the influx of new music and new people a threat to old culture and heritage? Benjamin Franklin thought so, but he was worried about German immigrants changing U.S. culture and heritage, calling them, "a Colony of Aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of our Anglifying them." (source: New York Times)

The sounds of norteño/conjunto music, as well as country music, are rooted in Germanic and Czech culture. Modern country music is a descendant of the immigrant influence that Benjamin Franklin feared: "The Germans did help Germanize the United States... There was a blending." - Rutgers University history and political science professor Daniel J. Tichenor, quoted in the New York Times

"In Texas, the pastoral folk music of northern Mexico (ranchero) blended with the Polka music of German immigrants to form the hybrid of conjunto. Country, too, is a hybrid, with its roots largely attributed to the folk music of Appalachia. But Tennessee isn't the only place that country developed--Texas lays claim to a lot of it, too. Much of the country sound was forged in Texas' dance halls, where German, Czech, and Mexican folk sounds merged." - Minnesota Public Radio Music Blog

"Polka, which originated from Bohemia, has also had a significant influence on norteño. Compared side-by-side, some styles of American polka may bear striking resemblance to norteño music. The polka beat is characteristic of norteño. At the turn of the 20th century, Bohemian immigrants flowed into Sinaloa, Mexico to farm the land and mine coal. German immigrants had also settled in large numbers in the cities of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon and Mazatlan, Sinaloa as early as the late 19th century. These German immigrants fueled the demand for a local brewing industry, and they also influenced the music scene by bringing the accordion and the polka rhythm, which were part of the popular music of their homeland." - Wikipedia

"A reed instrument developed in early nineteenth century Europe, the accordion is worn like a vest and consists of right and left hand keyboards that are connected by a bellows. Notes are produced by the bellows pushing air through valves which are controlled by the keyboard. The accordion is used primarily in conjunto, tejano and cowboy musics. The late accordionist Clifton Chenier set the standard for contemporary Cajun players like Zachary Richard. Basil Duhon, who works with Grand Ole Opry star Jimmy C. Newman, offers a cajun-style approach to the instrument. Flaco Jimenez is the most popular accordionist playing conjunto today." - Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

"Country fiddling reflects a considerable amount of cultural synthesis. For example, the sliding into and out of notes - one of the distinguishing features of southern fiddling - is generally thought to be a stylistic trait derived from African-American music. Popular fiddlers such as Arthur Smith and Chubby Wise brought this bluesy trait to commercial country music. The Cajun music of French Louisiana has long had a tangential, but persistent, relationship to mainstream country music, with fiddling being perhaps the most distinctive Cajun music element that has influenced country. Aspects of repertoire and style of the German, Czech and Hispanic communities in the Southwest have been incorporated into the fiddling of that region and, by extension, into regional commercial country styles." - Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

"Pee Wee King was an unlikely candidate for country music stardom. Yet as a songwriter, bandleader, recording artist, and television entertainer, he broke new ground in country music, and he helped to bring waltzes, polkas, and cowboy songs into mainstream country music during ten productive years at the Grand Ole Opry. Born Frank Julius Anthony Kuczynski into a working-class Polish-German family, he grew up in the polka-and-waltz culture of Wisconsin. His musical debut occurred at age fifteen, when he played the accordion in his father’s polka band." - Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

"Growing up in central Texas, [Willie] Nelson came under the influence of a wide diversity of abiding musical influences—not just the Grand Ole Opry stars of the day, but also more indigenous sounds: the Texas honky-tonk of Ernest Tubb, the western swing of Bob Wills, and even the German-American polka bands he often played in as a youth." - Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

See also PBS' Accordion Dreams

Photo by Lisa B

Labels: arts, history, immigrants, mexico