México

K. If all of the world's cultural heritage (sports, music, fashion, architecture, literature, painting, etc..) was contained in a time capsule, what would you include to demonstrate the legacy of your country?

IE Application Intake: September 2016 Diana Fridman

La Lotería“La Lotería” was originated in Italy during the middle ages, adopted in Spain, then brought to Mexico in 1769. Initially lotteries were hand-crafted in tin plates. It wasn’t until the end of the XIX Century that “loterías” were printed on cardboard, which allowed the game to become more accessible to the rest of the population.

The Mexican version of the game includes illustrations related to popular Mexican figures. It is a form of folk art with colorful cards, and Mexican designs which is what I would like to share about Mexico. Our colors, food, dance, art, music, and most of all, our people. I selected some cards which represent significant aspects of our culture.

Let’s begin with a basic timeline; we have to go back to the origins to understand the different influences in our culture.

First Settlers

50,000 B.C. 1521 1876

Prehispanic Era

Colonial Era

Independent México

1910

Porfiriato

1920

Mexican Revolution

Today

Contemporary Mexico

200 B.C.

Mexico’s cuisine has a great variety of tastes, smells, flavors and colors. We have created thousands of different traditional dishes, which led to having traditional Mexican cuisine inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010:

“Traditional Mexican cuisine is a comprehensive cultural model comprising farming, ritual practices, age-old skills, culinary techniques and ancestral community customs and manners. It is made possible by collective participation in the entire traditional food chain: from planting and harvesting to cooking and eating.”

www. unesco.org

Chile en Nogada, Puebla Cochinita Pibil, Yucatán Mole Negro, Oaxaca

El Pescado - Our Cuisine

El Pescado - Our Cuisine

Colonial Era: During the Spanish conquest, traditions, customs, religion and language had to be adopted by the natives. Spaniards imported a large variety of animals such as cattle, chickens, goats, pigs and sheep as well as rice, wheat, oats, olive oil, wine, almonds, along with many other spices. As a result of the impact of the culture clash, different mixtures and unique flavors were created within different regions in the country.

Prehispanic Era: Prehispanic diet was founded on native ingredients such as herbs, beans, tomatoes, nopal, cocoa, vanilla, avocado, fruits, peanuts, turkey and fish among others, but the most important were corn and chile. Locally developed cooking processes include ground level ovens, grinding stones, stone mortars, and nixtamalization, the process in which corn grains are soaked and cooked in lime water loosening the tough hulls to obtain nixtamal (corn dough for making tortillas).

La Sirena - Our Folk Dance

Mexico is internationally recognized as one of the countries with the largest variety of traditional dances. Typical dances vary depending on their place of origin and usually represent social happenings. Mexico’s folk dances are cheerful and colorful due to the upbeat costumes, movements, meaning and music.

La Sirena - Our Folk Dance

Considered Mexico’s national dance. Jarabe Tapatío was born at the end of the XIX century in Jalisco. It’s main identifier is the “zapateado”. Usually, music is played by the traditional mariachis. Male dancers are dressed as “charros” and female dancers are dressed as “china poblana”.

Jarabe Tapatío

Traditional dance from Yucatan. “Jarana”means bustle. Female dancers usually wear “huipiles” which is the typical local dress with embroidered flowers. Men wear “guayaberas” and white pants. The music played during this dance is called “Charanga”.

One of Mexico’s most humorous and original folk dances. It goes back to the prehispanic era and the rituals that honored the God of the Elder and the God of Fire. It is originally from Michoacan. Dancers usually wear face masks made of wood that simulate elder people’s smiling faces and wear a traditional “jorongo”.

Jarana Yucateca

Danza de los Viejitos

La Mano - Arts

Prehispanic Era - Art was regularly based on nature, gods or the political situation at the time. Diverse tools and instruments such as ceramics, pottery and animal, vegetable and mineral based paint were used by the various cultures (Aztec, Maya, Mixteca, Zapoteca, Tolteca, Otomi, Totonaca and Tarasca). Murals, codices and monuments were diverse forms of expressions used during this period.

Colonial Era - Art during this era was based on religion (building and decorating churches) with traces of indigenous elements.

Independent Mexico - This is the time period with the most dramatic effect on art. It’s the era of the Mexican muralist movement when Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, José Clemente Orozco, Fernando Leal and Rufino Tamayo were asked by the government to create artistic narratives on murals which reflected Mexican history and culture, using art to reinforce political messages. Tamayo was the only artist to decline this request, causing both controversy and the first international artistic breakthrough. During this period, we also have the representation of folk culture with Frida Kahlo`s inspiring story and artistic pieces.

Colonial Era: During the colonial era, the first music school was established. Spaniards took advantage of the local musical talent and used it as a form of accelerating cultural adoption for the townspeople. In the XVII century, european writers and musicians arrived to the country and began spreading various musical styles.

Independent Mexico: Music was much more classical during this time period. The Mexican Philharmonic Society was established, and along with it, the first musical conservatory.

El Pájaro - Our Music

Music is the most popular form of expression in the country

Prehispanic Era: Prehispanic music included five main sounds and was divided into three genres: ● Ritual music - played during ceremonies or rituals such as births, weddings or funerals● Warrior music - anthems that were usually sung prior to battles● Recreative music - played during social gatherings. Songs and dancers were more than mere

entertainment; they were a form of communication.

“Amo el canto del zenzontle, pájaro de cuatrocientas voces; Amo el color del Jade y el enervante perfume de las flores. Pero amo mas a mi hermano el hombre.” Nezahualtóyotl.

Mexican Revolution: During and after the revolution, the most popular types of music were born.

El Pájaro - Our Music

Mariachi

Originated in Jalisco. Originally, mariachis traveled

from town to town singing love songs. It became the

most representative style of mexican music and was

declared the “national music” after the Mexican revolution

in 1920.

Ranchera

Can be defined as a rural type of music from the traditional

mexican “ranchos”. It was created by peasants as a

response to the ruling classes. It originated in the

19th century. Song lyrics were usually related to love, nature

and patriotic themes.

Banda

Originated in the state of Sinaloa the last two decades

of the 19th century, the objective of Banda music was

to imitate military bands including polka rhythms.

Banda became very popular after the revolution.

“Amo el canto del zenzontle, pájaro de cuatrocientas voces; Amo el color del Jade y el enervante perfume de las flores. Pero amo mas a mi hermano el hombre.” Nezahualtóyotl.

El Corazón - Our People

heartwarming ● happy ● undefeatable ● festive