The National Endowment for the Arts (“NEA”) is an independent federal agency that was created by Congress and President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. A NEA publication states that “the NEA was established to foster American creativity, to elevate culture, and sustain and preserve the many artistic traditions of the country. ” The domain and art of all ethnic groups is promoted and preserved. A style of music preserved by the NEA is jarocho music. The musician José Gutiérrez is a teacher of Jarocho music.
Defining the music of Jarocho
Jarocho music emerged from the tropical paradise of Veracruz, Mexico, on the Gulf of Mexico. Its cultural identity is a mix of Spanish, indigenous and African influences. Their music is generally typified by the sound of the Indian harp, Jarana (small six-string guitar) and Requinto (small guitar that is plucked instead of strummed). José Gutiérrez, a California resident and native of the Alvarado region of Veracruz, Mexico, has been performing jarocho music since the 1970s.
Gutiérrez learned to play Jarocho music as a member of Lino Chávez’s Conjunto Jarocho Medellín. They remain one of the most respected groups of all time in the jarocho music genre. Throughout the years, Gutiérrez has mastered the performance of the requinto and has developed the voice and style necessary to perform as the lead vocalist in a subset of Jarocho music known as “Coplas.”
A “Pregon” is a type of song that includes the proclamation or the shout of certain poetic verses intended to provoke responses. The Town Crier (caller) addresses the statement to the specific audience or individual. In Coplas, the singing / proclamation of such a verse is answered in the same way. Coplas are often fun and spontaneous. José Gutiérrez is an expert in Coplas. He is a town crier. At one point, he even called his own Jarocho ensemble “Los Pregoneros del Puerto.”
José Gutiérrez, the man
I am fortunate to call Gutiérrez both a colleague and a friend. My father Fidencio Hinojosa, also from Jarocho, performed intermittently with Gutiérrez in the late 1980s when they both resided in San Bernardino, California. In 1989, the National Endowment for the Arts recognized Gutiérrez, granting him the honor of Member of the National Heritage. I can understand why, as a musician and a man, he deserves the honor.
In the early 1990s, I was a folk dancer and occasional singer for Los Pregoneros del Puerto. Gutiérrez was the director of our company. He was open, charismatic and deeply concerned with representing the music of Veracruz in an authentic and professional way. We perform in many public places in the United States, representing the music of Veracruz.
When we performed at President Clinton’s second inauguration in Washington, DC, a city I had never visited before, Gutiérrez stood by my side. He was constantly looking out for my general well-being and safety. He was always a true gentleman.
As a musician, Gutiérrez never strayed from playing authentically traditional songs, such as La Bamba and María Chuchena. He performed constantly with a musical and vocal richness that never ceased to arouse interest in the music of Veracruz. He was always willing to answer questions about Jarocho music, to deepen the general appreciation of its history and unique musical genre.
Jarocho Music in the United States
It is fitting that the National Endowment for the Arts recognized the importance of José Gutiérrez’s music in 1989. Jarocho music has been a part of American culture since Mexican movie star and main harpist of Jarocho music, Andrés Huesca, traveled through the Southwest in the mid-1950s.
Jarocho songs like “La Bamba” exploded in popular culture after teen idol Richie Valens published his adaptation of the song in 1958. According to the Billboard magazine, the same song reached number one in 1987 in the United States. He has also appeared in numerous films, including one with the same title. Across our country, Mexican Americans and Mexican immigrants enjoy the music of their heritage while accepting it as their own in American culture.
Jarocho music is intercultural. It is here to stay. Whether through pop culture or a celebration of America’s past, this genre of music has been assimilated into the fabric of American history. Hopefully, José Gutiérrez and other traditional Jarocho musicians can continue to remind us of the authentic roots of Jarocho’s music for many years to come.