'Juana Sanchez' Ballad Wins Corrido Contest
Thursday, 28 October 2010 21:05
Feet were tapping and heads were bobbing in downtown Tucson, where 200 people gathered to listen to harmonious corridos at Tucson Meet Yourself on Oct. 9.
However, the messages behind several of the Mexican ballads were anything but harmonious.
Of the seven corridos recited at the 20th annual contest, three focused on the ongoing immigration situation in Arizona and the negative ways in which Latinos are being treated.“Those corridos were about current anti-illegal immigration laws like SB 1070,” said Celestino Fernández, the corrido contest host and recent recipient of the Cox Communications Arizona Hispanic Man of the Year award. “The government needs to realize that these immigrants are human beings,” he said.
Alejandro Moreno sang one of these immigration crises-related corridos, “The Sheriff from Arizona” in both Spanish and English. “I have not committed no crime as I only came here for work…While I’m here in prison, there is work to be done,” Moreno sang.
The $250 first-place winner was Octavio Tovar for his original corrido, “Juana Sanchez.” Tovar’s corrido, performed in Spanish, told the story of his grandmother as an older woman with breast cancer in Mexico in the 1940s.
After months of suffering, Tovar’s grandmother was robbed on her way to the doctor’s office. She returned home and eventually died in terrible pain.“Very sad, a real tragedy,” Fernández said of Tovar’s corrido.
Tovar said his family’s financial situation did not allow his grandmother to receive proper treatment. “For many months, we were too poor to see a doctor,” Tovar said. “We were only eating one meal a day.”
Tovar has competed in the corrido contest for the past six years, but this was his first big win. In 2009, he received second place for his corrido “Las Decisiones.”
In addition to Tovar’s $250 grand prize, four other corrido presenters received a $150 cash prize, including Kino Heritage Society President Rosie Garcia.
Garcia’s piece, “Corrido al Padre Kino,” was performed with no instrument, though guitars and an accordion accompanied most other corridos.
Two additional songs composed by Fernández and performed by Guillermo Sáenz were recited, but not entered into the contest for judging. The first corrido, “Hay Que Votar” stressed the importance of getting out to vote.
Fernández’s other piece, “Corrido a Don ‘Big Jim’ Griffith” honored the founder of Tucson Meet Yourself. “Big Jim” Griffith explained that corridos have the ability to relay social and political viewpoints.
“Corridos represent the messages and stories of everyday people,” Griffith said. “They are not just an expression of the middle and upper classes.”
Fernández was impressed with the quality and topics of the corridos presented. “All the corridos were unique, original compositions,” Fernández said. “With the exception of the one performed by Conjunto San Antonio.”
Anyone is welcome to participate in the corrido competition held every year at Tucson Meet Yourself and participants can sign up on the spot.
Written by Kirsten Boele You are reading 'Juana Sanchez' Ballad Wins Corrido Contest articles
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