Bordernote will present portraits and biographies of musicians who live in the US-Mexico borderlands. The purpose is to share their personal narratives and, in doing so, contribute to the documentation of the region’s expressive culture. The project’s primary outcome is a photobook of portraits and oral histories.
“I’ve always lived in a kind of borderland, in many aspects of my life, because my dad is Colombian, but my mom is American, so I’ve always lived between worlds, and for some reason, I think I feel a bit at home in the border region. I think it’s because of this permeability of many things that happen here; it’s like a no man’s land and everyone’s land. I think that sometimes, well, I studied sociology because I’m interested in the experience of others as a motivator in music. It’s really about understanding the experience of others.” — Natalia Serna, 39, Hermosillo, Sonora“I remember being 18 and wondering whether to become a guitarist or a singer. I took a summer course, specializing in both singing and guitar, and decided that what I enjoyed most was singing. Also, financially, it would be easier to find work as a singer than just as a guitarist. At first, my parents didn’t want me to be a musician because they were worried about the financial aspect, but after they saw that I really wanted to be a musician, they started to support me in this musical dream.” — Roberto Corral, 33, Agua Prieta, Sonora.“I used to be a mariachi. I’ve been playing vihuela since I was 12 years old. I was a mariachi for 14 years. Unfortunately, there’s no mariachis here in Douglas, so I got into making vihuelas and guitars, and that way I can stay in the mariachi community. I am a part-time luthier here and a full-time firefighter. This is my passion.” — Joel Gonzales, 42, Douglas, Arizona
“It’s a difficult thing, my job. The truth is, it’s a thousand-headed demon. You don’t know what’s going to happen. You don’t know who you’re going to meet.” — Joaquín Fragozo, 73, Puerto Peñasco, Sonora“If you want to be a good musician, you have to dedicate many hours of your day. Not just sticking with what you have, but continuing to improve your technique, your talent, and yes, investing a lot in it.” — Alfredo “Lalo” Domínguez Martínez, 25, Puerto Peñasco, Sonora.“My family listens to a lot of mariachi music. When I would listen to it, I would hear the bass playing in the background and I would be like that’s a really nice sounding beefy bass sound and I started liking it.” — Jesus Gonzalez-Medina, 20, Phoenix, Arizona
Tucson summers linger well into October, and on Hispanic Heritage Day, the University of Arizona’s grassy mall is baked in sunshine and smells like beer and gasoline.
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