Corridos de Celestino

“Corridos de Celestino” is a 2-CD project of original corridos, Mexican ballads. The CDs are accompanied by a booklet that sets each corrido in context and includes the words. The songs are interpreted by six different musicians in a variety of styles. The corrido, an important part of the Mexican and Mexican American folklife tradition, is a descriptive narrative, a running account that is written in verse, like poetry, and put to simple music. Much like the editorial page of the local newspaper, the corrido takes a topic of importance and accurately (mostly; not all corridos are completely accurate, although traditional corridos are inspired by real events and personalities) and succinctly and poetically documents the essential points, interprets them and provides commentary. The corrido always takes the point of view of “el pueblo” (the common folk); it is from this perspective that the particular issue is memorialized, analyzed and interpreted. The corrido tradition gives voice to the people who otherwise do not have a formal voice in dominant culture. The 2 CDs include 23 corridos on a variety of topics, including Mexican immigration (Peligro en el Desierto and Camino de la Espernaza), notable individuals such as Manuel Pacheco, the first Latino President of the University of Arizona (Presidente Tres Veces), and important events, such as the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle “Gabby” Giffords (La Tragedia de Tucson) and the massacre of 19 students and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas on May 24, 2022 (Masacre en Uvalde, Texas). Other themes include voting (¡Hay Que Votar!), women of the Mexican Revolution (Mujeres Revolucionarias), and the Tucson International Mariachi Conference (La Conferencia del Mariachi – Tucson).