Trío Guadalevín In Concert at San Xavier del Bac

Recognized nationally for its fresh approach to historic and global music, Trío Guadalevín will offer concert-goers a unique integration of sound and sight as its music echoes through the hallowed 18th century interior of San Xavier del Bac, the historic mission church in the ancestral lands of the Tohono O'odham Nation. The historic interplay between Spanish baroque and Indigenous sensibilities will come alive through both music and architecture. Trío Guadalevín dedicates itself to exploring the Indigenous, African and European roots that intertwine to form the music of Latin America. San Francisco Classical Voice asserts, “These historical performers are redefining where — and when — Early Music comes from." The trio reflects and re-invents the elements that shaped music in the Americas, moving from Mexican son huasteco and Afro-Mexican son jarocho, to corridos and Oaxacan songs sung in Indigenous Zapotec, but also offers Spanish renaissance and baroque works such as the music of Gaspar Sanz, folías, fandangos and even medieval Arab-Andalusian melodies and Sephardic Jewish laments. Audiences will see and hear historic Iberian and North African instruments such as the baroque guitar, the theorbo (or arch-lute), oud (lute), bendir (frame drum) and qarqba (metal castanets) combined with Latin American instruments including harp, jarana, quinta huapanguera, and Meso-American and Afro-Latin instruments such as teponaztli (log drum), ayoyotes (rattles), tlapitzalli (flutes), quijada de burro (donkey jaw), cajón and bombo. “San Xavier del Bac is a such a beautiful example of the confluence of Indigenous and Spanish baroque architecture. Beauty born of a story rife with pain. We are honored to spotlight that heritage by offering music that parallels the mission’s aesthetics – by combining music and instruments that sonically do what the church’s architecture does – merge different worlds into a single expression,” explains Trío Guadalevín co-founder, Antonio M. Gómez, who spent his adolescence in Tucson. “Growing into a young man here, San Xavier del Bac, and the desert itself, had profound impacts on me spiritually and musically. Much of that cultural fusion that defines the Southwest continues to shape my artistic work and the objective of Trío Guadalevín. By examining the diverse historic roots that shape us, we can better understand our own stories today – and our connections to each other. With much of the trio’s work exploring the point of encuentro – or encounter – between the Indigenous, European and African worlds that took shape from 1492 onward – it’s particularly auspicious to return to ‘la paloma blanca del desierto’ (San Xavier) on October 12 – exactly 533 years after the first fateful encounter.” The concert will take place in the historic church building at 2:30 pm on Sunday, October 12th. The program will be approximately one hour and include a presentation in both English and Spanish with a musical land acknowledgement in recognition of the Tohono O’odham Nation, on whose ancestral lands the event will take place. The musical offering is free, although those who are able are invited to provide a donation of $20 - $40 per person, which will be used to offset musician expenses and support the historic landmark. This program launches the first Arizona tour by Trío Guadalevín, which is based in the Seattle-Tacoma area, with members hailing from the American Southwest (Gómez), Mexico City (Abel Rocha – specializing in Mexican and Latin folkloric music) and the East Coast (August Denhard – specializing in European early music). After this concert, the tour will continue to Scottsdale where the trio will offer a program for school aged audiences and a public concert, both through Arizona State University, at ASU Kerr. Trío Guadalevín offers its gratitude to Friar Ponchie Vasquez, OFM, the staff of San Xavier del Bac, and the Tohono O’odham community at the historic village of Wa:k.

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