Music

We’re still searching for a really good source of recorded ‘Aztec’ style music that we can recommend to teachers. In the meantime, if you’re really desperate, contact Mexicolore and we can lend you a sampler CD we’ve assembled from our own favourites. Remember there’s some great ‘Aztec’ music from Tunkul DOWNLOADABLE for free on our Kids microsite (follow link below: enter the microsite by clicking GO, then look for the ‘Save Music File?’ in the top r/h corner).

One internet resource we do recommend [ seemingly no longer available, 2020... Shame] is the Aztec song ‘Matlatzincayotl’ recorded by the group San Antonio Vocal Arts Ensemble (SAVAE) to accompany the major exhibition ‘The Mesoamerican Ballgame’ based at the Mint Museum of Art, North Carolina, USA a few years ago. If you follow the link below ( sorry, no longer there...) it takes you into the superb animated website on the ballgame (recommended on our Links page) - then click on ‘Listen to an ancient Aztec song’. There is some useful background info on the song (which is taken from the famous Cantares Mexicanos 16th. century collection of Aztec songs and poetry), plus several minutes of wind, percussion and vocal music. It’s still a modern interpretation, but a well-researched one that gives an atmospheric ‘feel’ to Aztec ritual music and song. In the final ‘Spoken Postscript’ section you can hear part of the song being narrated in Náhuatl - an added bonus.

There are some excellent pre-Hispanic music resources on the danzasmexicanas.com website (link below) run by Alejandro Barragán in New York, but note that the site is in Spanish! The site includes a 5-minute video on how to make a pre-Hispanic clay whistle (extra link below..)

Don’t forget to explore our main Aztec Music section and our extended feature on the Aztec teponaztli drum.

Aztec Music section Feature on the Aztec teponaztli drum Download music from our own Kids site...Youtube video of Moises Hernandez and his children’s group playing music from Maya territory Listen to several music files on the Danzasmexicanas.com website How to make a pre-Hispanic clay whistle ({italicin Spanish})‘Ocarinas of Mexico & Central America’ - Peabody Museum (USA)

Comments (1)

Todd H. Holmes

12th Aug 2019

Are you familiar with Jorge Reyes? His ancient pre-Hispanic inspired music is great.

Mexicolore

Yes, thanks! You’re right, he was one of the pioneers (read our feature ‘Forerunners of recorded music from ancient Mexico’, in the r/h menu). He died in 2009.