From Veracruz to Los Angeles: The Tradition of Son Jarocho

Abstract

The African Mexican music tradition of son jarocho comes from the Veracruz region of Mexico. As a performance practice, son jarocho has strong ties to social justice and civil rights, and is a thriving genre both in Mexico and in the United States. This article includes teaching suggestions for guitar or ukulele lessons in general music settings for elementary or middle school level students. The phases of World Music Pedagogy are applied to several son jarocho resources.