This is a webpage with information on the CD and DVD
Yol K'u (Inside the Sun)
Mayan Mountain Music
with mp3s and videos for the media only.
If you would also like a hard copy, email Dave Soldier at ds43@columbia.edu
Liner notes in the 16 page color bookley are in English, Spanish, and Chuj.
One CD with DVD: the CD's music was composed and performed on giant marimbas by Mayan Indian schoolchildren from the Seeds of Knowledge School in San Mateo Ixtatán in the mountains of Northern Guatemala, with coaching by composer Dave Soldier.
There is also a film on DVD written and acted by the kids, Xapin y Axul, a sort of Chuj language version of Romeo and Juliet coached by Charles Krezell and scenes of the children playing and composing the music in San Mateo.
This is Soldier's third full CD in which he coaches children to compose and play their own music, including Aliens Took My Mom by The Tangerine Awkestra (avant garde jazz from 2-10 year olds in Fort Greene Brooklyn, 2000) and Da Hiphop Raskalz (hip hop from grade school children in East Harlem, 2006).
Some musical compositions are made by children who don't know the instruments, and used musical games to compose pieces that sound a bit like American minimalism and a hiphop tune in Chuj, the local Mayan language: others are very accomplished performers who play the traditional repertoire.
Here is a video of Xapin y Axul (the DVD is higher quality than the web version)
Here is a video of theYol K'u music project by Charles with lots of kids playing marimbas.
Here is the music in mp3 format:
Group "experimental" pieces, written and named by the kids, coached by Dave Soldier, Persian santur virtuoso Alan Kushan, and recording engineer Rory Young (who previously built the studio in the Thai forest for the Thai Elephant Orchestra)
Oracion de la Cruz Game piece
El Bello Quetzal Game piece
Xan Matin Mix Chuj hiphop
Casamiento de los Apaches Game piece
Noble Cazador Game piece
Fiesta de los Mayas Game piece
Traditional pieces played by the school band with seven players on two giant marimbas, bass, and drums
Sal Negra Son Yinhatil Nab’en
B’erech kaxlanh Son Yinhatil Nab’en
El Muñeco Son Yinhatil Nab’en
Tzinnib’ej k’ix hin/Quisiera ser espinita Son Yinhatil Nab’en
Mi Q 'anjob 'alita Son Yinhatil Nab’en
"Field Recordings"
Romeristas (Rain Prayer) performed on fife and drums by Las Romeristas Mexicanas / Tzapalutes , who make an annual pilgrimage to San Mateo from Chiapas
Ha tzonhulek’ Yol yib’anh k’inal tik / El Velorio played by Matin Tomax on violin
Chonhab’ Wajxklajunh/Pueblo San Mateo Ixtatàn vocals and guitar by Matin Tomax
Mi Lindo Chakaj vocals and guitar by Jose (Moisés) Lorenzo Luciano (11 years old)
relevant websites
Mulatta Records
Dave Soldier
Ixtatan Foundation (who run the Seeds of Knowledge school)
Liner notes for Yol K’u: Inside the Sun
San Mateo Ixtatán, a town of 10,000 people famous for its black salt (sal negra, K'ik' Atz'am) and its spectacular Mayan archeological sites, is high in the Cuchumatanes mountains, a 10 hour drive from Guatemala City, in a region of northern Guatemala where the Mayans speak Chuj, with Spanish as a second language. The region had been very hard hit by the long war in that country. The Seeds of Knowledge, the first high school in that part of the country, intends for the students to learn traditional subjects and practical knowledge, and also develop their own interests in the arts.
In 2006, Beth Neville Evans, who helped found Yinhatil Nab’en (Seeds of Knowledge) High School, invited me with the santur player and composer Alan Kushan (whom the kids nicknamed Mamacita) and recording engineer Rory Young, and me to coach the students to compose. With Rory's son Danny, wife and music teacher Bonnie, and their photographer friend Karen Maze, we spent 10 days in San Mateo, setting up a studio in the village church. The kids lack CD players, but the radio is everywhere, and they love the traditional marimba songs, and some students are reggaeton fans.
The school had bought two giant traditional marimbas, one played by four people and the other by three. To work with the students who don't know how to play them, we developed musical games where we would place colored tape on marimba bars and one student would cue teams to play on different colors. The games resulted in the five game pieces on the CD, and the kids named them. Rory coached them in a hiphop tune in Chuj, Xan Matin Mix, of which the lyrics and a school interview are below.
We also recorded Son Yinhatil Nab’en, students who were coached by older musicians including Don Mateo Gómez (Matin Tomax) and Don Juan Hernández (Xunan Xap), who play the Cuchumatanes marimba repertoire: these dances can be played for as long as 20 minutes, but with the musician’s assent, we include shorter versions - longer versions can be downloaded from the Mulatta Records website. Xuan Xap’s Sal Negra is a particular favorite in San Mateo.
Finally, we include a song that all the kids know written by Xunan Xap sung and played by student Jose "Moises" Luciano, a fiddle tune played at wakes and a song in Chuj performed by Matin Tomax, and fife and drum music from a group of Mayan pilgrims who live in Chiapas, Mexico and made an annual pilgrimage to San Mateo Ixtatán to play this music as a prayer for rain. We purchased one of the Chiapas flutes, which made its way onto one of the game pieces.
We hope that the music and film projects help the school to tell everyone about their success, of which San Mateo Ixtatán and the region is deservedly very proud.
Notes for the film Xapin y Axul
This film is in the Mayan language of Chuj: there are 22 different Mayan languages in Guatemala alone; from one rural valley to another the people may not understand each another.
Coming up with a script presented a few problems. I speak neither Chuj nor Spanish. I was in San Mateo Ixtatán working with the Ixtatán Foundation who had set up the town's first-ever high school. The kids were studying Romeo and Juliet. I became friends with their teacher, Fernando Camberos, and we kicked around the idea of making a Mayan version of the play. In class, the students suggested how a teen romance would take place in San Mateo Ixtatán.
I took their notes and wrote a short script in English, Fernando translated the script into Spanish, and the students translated it into Chuj. We shot each scene first in Spanish and then in Chuj. Only a few of the actors had any acting experience. I used the Spanish versions as a run through and concentrated on the scenes in Chuj. As we worked, it was amazing how the language barriers disappeared, as the kids were so much more comfortable speaking Chug and the piece came alive. I knew what the intention of each line was and I could tell if the scene was working, but I never did figure out Chuj.
-Charles Krezell
Actors: Gloria Alonzo Gómez (Axul) and Emanuel Pérez Lucas (Xapin)
with Ana Ángelica Mendoza Santizo, Andres Hernández Domingo, Felipe Silvestre Jacinto, Enrique Silvestre Jacinto, Elías Bautista Hernández , Mará de Jesús Jacinto Par, Juana Jacinto Pérez, and other students
Coached by Fernando Camberos
Produced and directed by Charles Krezell
Music from the recordings for the accompanying CD
a previous article by Dave Soldier on coaching/ collaborating with children's music and related projects
a Montreal article about Da Hiphop Raskalz and The Modern Music Project, a version from in Montreal
Audio: NPR All Things Considered on Da Hiphop Raskalz
Audio: German radio show about the San Mateo music project
Video: excerpt of the Tangerine Awkestra in action
STILL MORE LINER NOTES (not including many color photos)
Xan Matin Mix, the hiphop song in Chuj
Hin Chonhab’
Te meb’a’ heb’ ay t’s Xanh Matin
Sb’ochaj atz’am atz’am t’a schonhab’ heb’
Te chklaj hek’ sb’e hab’ yujto malj mach sb’o’ani
Te niwan yek’ sat slu’um heb’ t’a jun chonhab’ chi.
Te wach’ smolan snok’ hab’, yuj to to yax anh anh
Yujto te chululi yel ha’ yal heb’
Ay lum yax lu’um t’a spatik yichanh tak heb’
To yuj chi’ ay anh xuma’ak t’a skal yaxlum chi!
Mi Pueblo
Hay mucha gente pobre en San Mateo
Aquí se fabrican Sal Negra
El camino esta descompuestoporque nadie lo hace
El terreno es muy grande
Pueden reunir sus animales o gallinas
Hay muchas aguas corrientes
Hay montanas alrededor
Por eso hay flores en la Montana
My Town
There are many poor people in San Mateo
Here they make Black Salt
The road is bad because no one fixes it
The land is very big
You can gather your animals or chickens
There are many streams
There are mountains surrounding San Mateo
Because of this there are flowers in the mountains
Interview of the 8th graders by the 9th graders.
The 8th graders composed Xan Matin Mix and lyrics and were interviewed by the 9th grade (Tecero) students.
¿De qué se trata esta musica? What is this music about?
La pobreza, la sal, nuestro pueblo The poverty, the salt and our town
¿Cuántos de Uds. cantaron esta musica? How many of you sang?
cinco- Bartolo, Francisco, Rogelio, Juana y Diego. Pero Juana cantó la primera parte solita. Five, Bartolo, Francisco, Rogelio, Juana and Diego. But Juana sang the first part by herself.
¿Quién inventó esta música? Who composed the music?
Nosotros cinco lo hicimos juntos. Solo inventamos de nuestra mente. The five of us. We just invented from our minds.
¿Quién les dijo para que hagan esta música? Who told you to compose this music?
¡Mamacita! (con muchas risas) ¡Mamacita! (lots of laughs) Y todos los otros músicos que vinieron también. And all of the musicians that came, too.
¿Qué tipo de instrumento usaron? What instruments did you use?
Una computadora para hacer el ritmo y nuestras voces. A computer for the rhythm and our voices.
¿Les gustó la experiencia de hacer esta música? Did you like the experience of making this music? Cuál más les gustó- crear el ritmo o cantar? Which did you like best, making the rhythm or singing?
Si nos gustó la experiencia. Yes we like it.
Bartolo, Juana y Rogelio más el ritmo y Francisco y Diego más cantar. Bartolo, Juana and Rogelio like the rhythm more and Franciso and Diego liked singing more.
CENTRO COMUNITARIO DE EDUCACIÓN
El Centro Comunitario de Educación fue gestionado y creado por la Asociación de Desarrollo Integral INHAT, con el apoyo de la fundación Ixtatán en el año dos mil cinco, con el objetivo de implementar un desarrollo educativo en el municipio de San Mateo Ixtatán del departamento de Huehuetenango, Guatemala. En el año dos mil cinco se comienza a funcionar con veinte alumnos para primero básico y once para cuarto magisterio y es así como comienza el Centro Educativo que presta los servicios del nivel medio del ciclo básico de Cultura General con Orientación en Computación y Áreas Ocupacionales y el Ciclo Diversificado con la carrera de Magisterio de Educación Primaria Bilingüe Intercultural (Chuj-Español).
Este centro educativo fue difícil su gestión y autorización por muchas razones pero aún así se logro y en la actualidad se cuenta con un grupo de personas preparadas del municipios y voluntarios que han apoyado en dar sus conocimientos a los y las estudiantes, así mismo contamos con un buen número de estudiantes y gracias a las y los donantes que hacen posible encaminar el Centro Comunitario de Educación Yinhatil Nab’en (Semilla de la Sabiduría).
Yinhatil Nab’en High School
The Yinhatil Nab’en High School was created by the Association INHAT with the help of the Ixtatán Foundation en 2005 with the objective of implementing educational development in San Mateo Ixtatán, Huehuetenango, Guatemala. In 2005 the school opened its doors with 20 students in 7th grade (first year of middle school) and 11 in tenth grade (High school). The High School offers courses specializing in forming teachers. Those who graduate are qualified to teach at the elementary school level, in schools where the primary language is the Mayan language of Chuj, still the language of choice in San Mateo Ixtatán.
YINHATIL NAB’EN
Ha Yinhatil Nab’en tik b’ochajk’e b’uyan, scha’anoch yich smunlaj och yuj jun molan heb’ ketchonhab’, yet’ skolwal jun makanh heb’ ch’okchonhab’il, yik skib’ch’anh ma sbo’ juatzanh kuyb’al t’a yol ko chonhab’, t’a yol mak’b’en chinab’kul yet’ ta yol smakb’en slumalt’e, ha ixcha’an och yich smunlaji jaywanhej heb’ k’elemtak kobestak ixtzibej sb’a t’ay, syamanoch jaywanh heb’ t’a b’ab’el b’achanh t’a yoxil makanh yet’ jaywanh heb’ t’a b’ab’el b’achan t’a chanhil mak’an b’aj schoxchaj heb’ kotak unin.
Ha Yinhatil Nab’en tik. Manh sub’oj oklaj ix aj syamanoch yich yuj jantak tas yuj, ichok tikneik heb’ smunlajoch t’aj ayxo sjelanil heb’ , yik b’ach smunlaj heb’ yet’ heb’ kelemtak’ kobestak. Yujwal yos t’ay heb’ skolwaj och t’a stuminal yik wach sb’ey Yinhatil Nab’en tik.
MARIMBA
La Asociación INHAT y el Centro Comunitario tenía en mente de un centro educativo con permanencia cultural e integrar a jóvenes en diferentes actividades o proyectos pequeños, así que se pensó en tener un conjunto marimbistico integrado por alumnos del Centro Comunitario de Educación y así los estudiantes pudieran tener la oportunidad de aprender a ejecutar marimba y sones del pueblo como parte de la cultura Ixtateca, por esa razón se compra los instrumentos para la Marimba Semilla de la Sabiduría (son Yinhatil Nab’en). Agradecer a los colaboradores en hacer posible este CD.
The marimba is the national instrument of Guatemala and is especially loved in the highlands of northwestern Guatemala. The Yinhatil Nab’en School has its own marimbas and marimba group, called the Son Yinhatil Nab’en. Since acquiring the instruments (including drums, bass guitar and keyboard) in 2006, the Son Yinhatil Nab’en have practiced hard and improved so much that they can now demand high prices for their services.
The Sons
Son is the name given to the rhythm and type of structure common to the music of the Cuchumatanes Mountains. Soothing, and repetitive, they are completely a part of the Mayan soul and every Chuj is drawn to it as to prayer.
TE’ SON
Ha jun molanh heb’ anima, aton heb’ inhat, yet’ Yinhatil Nab’en, ha t’a snab’en heb’ to ipan ko b’eyb’al anha jun to yowalil tzoch lokan heb’ kelemtak kobestak t’a jun jun makb’en b’eyb’al tik, yuj chi ix nachaj smanchaj junok te’ son, yik b’ach skayb’ej heb’ scha skol skayb’an sontik, yuj ton chi jun ixmanchaj sk’ael te’ Yinhatil Nab’en tik, yujwal yos t’a heb’ winh ix kolwajoch sb’o’an jun sontik.
Ha jutzan bit’ ha heb’ anima sna’anelta’ yel sjaj, yujto syililt’a heb’ t’a sb’it nok’ much ichok pax t’a b’aj tzek’ ik’ t’a kaltak te’ at’a skib’chanh son tik, ha t’a ko chonhab’ tik ha son tik ha pitzan t’a ko chonhab’ yuj to ha smolan anima ta junok k’in snachaji jik junkolal ma tzalaj kolal tzeki, anha jun ha son tik kuskolal yochi aypax tzalaj k’olal yochi, anha pax jun schanhalwi heb’ anima t’ay.
LOS SONES
Las melodías son inspiraciones del ser humano y que lo ha obtenido a través de la naturaleza como en el silbido de los pájaros, el viento en las montañas e inspiraciones puras de las personas es asi como se crea la música o el son. En la comunidad Chuj el son es uno de las culturas que aún se vive ya que en cualquier actividad social siempre esta presente la marimba para atraer a las personas, a demás las melodías hacen inspirar a la gente así mismo bailar en el ritmo del son.
RESEÑA HISTORIA DEL MUNICIPIO DE SAN MATEO IXTATAN
El municipio de San Mateo Ixtatán fue establecido aproximadamente el año 1549 a raíz de los repartimientos y encomiendas en el período colonial, aunque su fundación se remonta a periodos precolombinos. En la actualidad posee uno de los vestigios arqueológicos más grande del norte de Huehuetenango y del sur de Chiapas, Mexico.
El municipio tiene una población de 30,000 habitantes de los cuales 29,000 son indígenas.
HISTORY OF SAN MATEO IXTATAN
The municipality of San Mateo Ixtatán was formed by the Spanish conquistadors in 1549, but was already an ancient town possessing one of the largest archeological sites in the northern part of the department of Huehuetenango and south of Chiapas, Mexico.
The municipality has 30,000 inhabitants of which 29,000 are indigenous.
For more information on San Mateo Ixtatan and the Seeds of Knowledge School, see www.ixtatan.orgor contact info@ixtatan.org
Members of Son Yinhatil Nab’en:
Francisco Armando Gómez y Gómez, Juan Carmelo Pérez,
Luís Pérez Paiz, Diego Vicente Mendoza García, Felipe Ramos Hernández,
Ronaldo Santizo Gómez, Gaspar Hernández Pérez,
Ronaldo Andres Gomez.
Pieces 1-6 were coached by Dave Soldier, Alan Kushan, Rory Young
Pieces 7-11 were coached by Xunan Xap and Matin Tomax
Pieces 7 and 15 were written by Xunan Xap
Piece 14 is written by Matin Tomax
The composers of the remaining pieces are unknown
Mixed and edited by Dave Soldier
Recorded in San Mateo Ixtatán by Rory Young and mastered at Acme Studios, Mamaroneck, NY
Photography by Karen Maze, Charles Krezell
CD artwork and booklet by Jennifer Kotter
Mulatta Records, www.mulatta.org
Published by Rigglius Music, ASCAP