My parents come from Mexico’s South East. I spent an important part of my childhood against a soundtrack of different forms of popular music that reflected the most varied influences and meanings.
I have always been interested in popular music (I remember with nostalgia our days at the Music Semiology Seminar at UNAM in Mexico City many moons ago). As a record collector I started collecting Latin American recordings on vinyl when I moved to the UK. I’ve also tried to do research (not professionally, for fun, so to speak) about the musical genres that I overlooked as a young man when I was living in Mexico. There’s a wealth of knowledge out there waiting to be read and also produced.
Looking for resources on son jarocho I came across this documentary produced by UNAM‘s own TV station, TvUNAM (their YouTube channel here).
You won’t find there the sophisticated editorial production of BBC documentaries, but if you are patient and sit still for its complete 53:44 running time, you will be rewarded with a plethora of information and fantastic music and dances.
Moreover, it’s free to access. UNAM is mostly funded by the Mexican taxpayer, and everyone everywhere where there is a broadband connection (and the right browsers with the right plugins) can watch this free of charge.
I wish someone (someone else, not me, as sadly I don’t have the time) offered to add English subtitles to it. Doing so would grant it a wider audience, which it fully deserves.