Viva Mi Tierra Caliente .

Directed and edited by Pacho Lane.

VHS video, 55 minutes.

Produced by the Unidad de Hipermedios, Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Morelos.

Distributed by Ethnoscope Film & Video,
P.O. Box 92353, Rochester, NY 14692
(585) 442-5474.


Pacho Lane's Documentary, Viva mi Tierra Caliente, sets a fine example of recognizing
Mexican folk virtuosos by celebrating the life and musical contribution that Juan Reynoso
Portillo has made to the cultural fabric of Mexico and the influence he is exerting on the
fiddle communities throughout the Americas. A master violinist of the calentano style,
Reynoso gained attention with the release of the recording entitled Juan Reynoso,
Paganini of the Mexican Hotlands, produced by Eduardo Lleneras (CO105 Corason,
1993).

Filmed in Reynoso's homeland in the state of Guerrero, the picturesque video provides
an essence of context through the wonderful camera work of Pacho Lane and Fidel
Avilez Vazquez, who capture the vernacular life and stunning scenery of the countryside
hills and waterways. The state of Guerrero is located along the Southern Pacific coast of
Mexico, but la tierra caliente, the "hot land", is the inland "calentano" region that
encompasses sections of Michoacan, Guerrero, and Mexico. It is here that the
calentano musical ensemble and style endure.

Related to other types of string ensembles, such as the mariachi, conjunto de arpa
grande, conjunto huasteco and conjunto arribeño, the calentano ensemble utilizes a
western violin and guitar and is unique because of its inclusion of the tamborito, a small
two-headed drum that coordinates, signals and inspires dancers to contribute to the
percussive element of the son or gusto. A matrix of poetry, music, and dance, the sones
and gustos are mestizo cultural expressions that have developed out of a type of social
dance event of the past and continue as a nostalgic traditional statement at social
events today. In addition to the gustos and sones, the film elucidates tha calentano
music to include various musical genres that can be found throughout Mexico, like
marches, pasodobles, polkas, and waltzes, even tango.

The documentary provides little background information on the music of this region of
Mexico. There is neither a narrator in the video nor an accompanying booklet; however,
some of the interviews offer a sense of who Don Juan is and what he has achieved.
Further, the producers and translators prove very competent when dealing with subtitles.
Nevertheless I came to conclude that the video is geared towards an English-speaking
audience by the mere fact that there are no Spanish subtitles when English is spoken.

The real strength of the film is found in the musical interludes Don Juan, whether
performing with his sons or with the other viejos or old men (a term of respect and
endearment). In the scenes, the filmmakers illuminate the sabor and matiz, the flavor and
nuance, of these musicians and of this musical style. Another noteworthy moment is a
wonderful conversation shared between Don Juan and his son Neyo, demonstrating the
passing of musical and social knowledge, history, and how memory is utilized to keep
the musical tradition alive.

The familial manners of transmission practiced within the Reynoso family are juxtaposed
with footage os a conference in Mexico City, funded by the Universidad Nacional
Autonoma de Mexico and the Escuela Nacional de Musica, directed by U.S. citizen
Lindajoy Fenley, the coordinator and founder of the Dos Tradiciones festival. This
contrast evokes very important questions around the notion of transmission,
institutionalization, appropiation, and authority. For instance, the documentary reveals
that those at the master class rely more on audio and video recordings and written
music to learn the music, somewhat displacing the practice of memory as a learning
tool. This practice brings up the question of who maintains authority and privilege over
the recordings and transcriptions.

Viva Mi Tierra Caliente also shows that in the context of the conference and the Dos
Tradiciones festival, people other than the calentanos are investing in and practicing this
musical tradition, illuminating the emergence of an interesting phenomenon, in which
people with diverse racial, class, and gender backgrounds, and with different
motivations and intentions intersect as in this case, around a musical tradition and a
single musician. These differences are evident in the video through comparisons
between the musical performances of the calentano musicians and the visiting
musicians.

This well-produced film has much to offer those interested in the study of musical
tradition, style, and folk manners of transmission and practice. It also evokes various
anthropological, sociological, and cultural study discourses around the
institutionalization and appropriation of traditional music, similar to those discussions
around the film/concert tour Buena Vista Social Club and Paul Simon's work with
African musicians. I recommend this film to those studying Mexican regional music, and
it will be of great use to those interested in the musical expressions of la tierra caliente.

Russell Rodríguez

University of California, Santa Cruz.

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