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Son jarocho is the music, dance, and culture of southern Veracruz, Mexico. After almost disappearing from the Mexican musical patrimony, it has recently experienced a revival, gaining loyal followers around the world. The annual New York Son Jarocho Festival celebrates local East Coast talent and presents transdisciplinary expressions of this 300-year-old tradition. Son jarocho culture is deeply entwined with the environment, with song lyrics about flora and fauna, geography, weather, and earth cycles. This year, the environment is the central theme of the Festival celebrating this relationship and reflecting on how it affects son jarocho communities across time and space.

11th NY Son Jarocho Festival Programs

Book Presentation: Rafael Figueroa, "Son Jarocho Discography in the US"
WED, NOV 17, 7-8 PM
@ FTH Gallery
FREE w/ Online RSVP (RSVP HERE)
Researcher and author Rafael Figueroa Hernandez, PhD., will present his most recent book, Son Jarocho Discography in the US (Red de Estudios de Son Jarocho, 2021). This work extensively catalogs all musical projects published in the US that focus on or include elements from the Mexican son jarocho tradition. Presented as part of the 11th NY Son Jarocho Festival and "Kupferberg Center's Arts & Culture Conversations." Sponsored by the CUNY Mexican Studies Institute.

Panel Discussion: "Identity and Territory in the Isthmus of Veracruz"
THU, NOV 18, 7-8:30 PM
Online Event - Zoom
FREE w/ Online RSVP (RSVP HERE)
In this bilingual (Spanish-English) panel discussion, the Colectivo Altepee will discuss the multiple challenges to the environment son jarocho communities face in the isthmus of Veracruz. Urban projects and oil refineries, as well as forced displacements of people near the region threaten to seriously disrupt traditional knowledge and natural environments that sustain son jarocho in the region. This event is part of the 11th NY Son Jarocho Festival, presented by the Son Jarocho MX Collective and sponsored by the CUNY Mexican Studies Institute.

Dance Performance: "Acusticorporal" by Argelia Arreola
FRI, NOV 19, 7-8 PM
@ FTH Gallery
FREE w/ Online RSVP (RSVP HERE)
Acusticorporal is a solo performance by Mexican dancer Argelia Arreola, a reflection around the body--the body as a projector of everything that it perceives and how it is affected by sound, rhythm, vibration, and words. The body is seen here as a generator of harmony and polyrhythm, turning into a musical instrument in its own right. This event is presented as part of the 11th NY Son Jarocho Festival, produced by the Son Jarocho MX Collective and sponsored by the CUNY Mexican Studies Institute.

11th NY Son Jarocho Festival Performances
SAT, NOV 20, 1-4 PM
@ FTH Theater
In-Person Tickets: $15/$12 Members; Virtual Tickets: $7/$5 Members (BUY TICKETS HERE)
Son jarocho is the music, dance, and culture of southern Veracruz, Mexico. After almost disappearing from the Mexican musical patrimony during the twentieth century, it has recently experienced a revival, gaining loyal followers around the world. The annual New York Son Jarocho Festival celebrates local East Coast talent and presents transdisciplinary expressions of this 300-year-old tradition. Son jarocho culture is deeply entwined with the environment, with song lyrics about flora and fauna, geography, weather, and earth cycles. This year, the environment is the central theme of the Festival celebrating this relationship and reflecting on how it affects son jarocho communities across time and space.

Culminating Fandango
SAT, NOV 20, 5-7 PM
@ FTH Garden & Gallery
FREE w/ Online RSVP (RSVP HERE)
This is the culminating event of the 11th New York Son Jarocho Festival, organized by SonJarocho MX, a NY-based communal project dedicated to promote and educate about son jarocho traditions on the East Coast. Fandangos are community celebrations where people gather to play, sing, and dance son jarocho--the musical tradition of southern Veracruz, Mexico. In the fandango, all are welcome to participate, from son jarocho professionals to people who love music and community. Everyone's invited!


The 11th NY Son Jarocho Festival is produced by the Son Jarocho MX Collective. Events are presented in collaboration with Flushing Town Hall and Kupferberg Center for the Arts, and sponsored by the CUNY Mexican Studies Institute. Argelia Arreola's performance is partly funded by the Mexican Fund for Arts and Culture.