August 23, 2013 - Las Cruces, NM - On this edition of PUENTES, Emily Guerra bridges the community with Western New Mexico University (WNMU) Professor of Chicano Studies, in Silver City, Pataricia Cano, with music from Grant County, including a song written by the Mayor of Hurley, Ed Encinas.
The Grant County Board of Commissioners in Silver City, Grant County, New Mexico have proclaimed the week of August 26th through September 1st as Grant County Chicano Music Week.
In 2011, Cano was going to teach a new course called "History of Chicano Music" and wanted to get the community excited about it. So she decided to have a preview of the course and invited the public to come and view the PBS documentary "Chicano Rock! The Sounds of East Los Angeles," narrated by Edward James Olmos. This was the inspiration to create the Grant County Chicano Music Project to document the history of Chicano (Mexican-American) music and musicians. In doing her research she found that there really was nothing archived or anything available that talked about the local musicians. And so began a documentary featuring Grant County musicians.
On August 31st the Premiere of the Grant County Chicano Music Project documentary will be held at the WNMU Fine Arts from 7 p.m - 9 p.m.; followed by a dance at The Flame from 9 p.m. - 1 a.m. The Chicano music photo & memorabilia exhibit will open at the Frances McCray Gallery on the WNMU campus on August 31st and run until September 27th.
For more information and schedule of events, log onto wnmu.edu/chicanomusicproject.
Songs heard on this interview are from the Chicano Music Project CD:
1) Tenemos Que Sufrir (We Have to suffer) - Zeke and The Ambassadors
2) Tiburon (Shark) - Pete Dominguez (from Deming)
3) Long Lonely Years - Freddie and the Starlighters
4) La Llorona (The Weeping Woman) - Abel Delgado (from Deming)
5) La Luz (The Light) - Amistad (written by the Mayor of Hurley, Ed Encinas)