Yucatán

The Orquesta Típica Yukalpetén, one of the most representative ensembles of Yucatán’s musical heritage, is coming to the 54th edition of the Festival Internacional Cervantino to perform on the iconic stage of the Explanada de la Alhóndiga de Granaditas, a concert that takes the audience on a journey through different eras, sensibilities and expressions of Yucatecan song.

The programme has been conceived as a journey through Yucatán’s musical memory, bringing together the ‘trova’, romantic songs, regional vignettes and the voices of composers who, across different generations, have helped to shape the state’s musical identity.

The evening begins with Aires del Mayab, by Carlos Duarte and Pepe Domínguez, a work deeply rooted in the Yucatecan musical imagination that symbolically opens the doors of this land to the Cervantino audience. This is followed by Nunca, by Ricardo López Méndez and Guty Cárdenas, which embodies the poetic and emotional depth of Yucatecan trova.

The programme continues with compositions such as En tus ojos by Pastor Cervera; La mestiza by Cirilo Baqueiro Prevé; Son tus ojos negros by Pedro Baqueiro García; Quisiera by Ricardo López Méndez and Guty Cárdenas; La fuente, also by Pastor Cervera; and Nikte-Ha by Rubén Darío Martínez. These pieces showcase different ways of singing of beauty, love and the land, highlighting the richness of a repertoire that has accompanied several generations of Yucatecans.

The programme is further enriched by a medley performed by the soloists of the Orquesta Típica Yukalpetén and by Chinita, chinita by Juan Evangelista Nic Pérez, before giving way to works that demonstrate how Yucatán’s musical sensibility has also engaged with Mexican and Latin American romantic song.

This segment features La puerta by Luis Demetrio and Somos novios by the unforgettable Yucatecan composer Armando Manzanero, whose work took Mexican romantic song to stages all over the world. Alongside these, the programme includes Corazón baldío by José Antonio Ceballos and Felipe de la Cruz; Piel de barro by Angélica Balado; Eso y más by Jorge Buenfil; and Te olvidaré by Manuel Merodio – all reflecting a musical tradition that remains alive and continues to evolve.

One of the evening’s most significant moments will come with Peregrina, by Luis Rosado Vega and Ricardo Palmerín, a seminal work in the Yucatecan repertoire in which poetry and music merge to become one of the great symbols of Mexican song. The programme continues with Soy del sur, by Sergio Esquivel, reaffirming the presence of Yucatecan composers whose music has transcended the state’s borders.

The finale brings the audience back to the festive spirit of Yucatán with El torito, linked to the closing of Aires del Mayab. In this way, the music with which the concert began returns to bring things full circle: from evocation and nostalgia to the joy of the Yucatecan fiesta.