Mexican composer Carlos Chávez

Enhance your Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is thought of as a day to celebrate Mexican-American culture. To that end I offer a fine piece of music by Mexican composer Carlos Chávez, his Symphony No. 2, Sinfonía India, written in 1935-6. This work is a symphony with three movements played without a break, and the composer employed melodies and instruments that originated with indigenous tribes of northern Mexico. At about 12 minutes in length, it is quite a succinct and evocative work that I think will delight you. Please follow the links within my text to learn more about the composer and his excellent music.

Below we have a video of the symphony performed by Orquesta Sinfónica de Michoacán (OSIDEM – Michoacán Symphony Orchestra) with Miguel Salmon Del Real, conductor. You can observe the array of percussion instruments as they are played. ¡Disfruta la música!