Bordernote will present portraits and biographies of musicians who live in the US-Mexico borderlands. The purpose is to share their personal narratives and, in doing so, contribute to the documentation of the region’s expressive culture. The project’s primary outcome is a photobook of portraits and oral histories.
“I think it’s important for people to know that what happens in a classroom setting, in a musical classroom setting is just as important, if not more important, than what these students are learning in their core classes. I’m not downplaying the core classes. Those are essential to succeeding in our society. But music offers a different venue to teach life skills that you can’t teach in an English class, or that you can’t teach in a science or math class.” — Justin Enriquez, 43, Tucson, Arizona“My favorite period would be the Baroque era. I feel there was a freedom that they weren’t even aware of. Because they invented many things that are still being used today, and I think that in every era, those harmonic and ornamental resources—which are essentially ways of decorating or beautifying things—have been utilized.” — Lilian Calleja, 33, Agua Prieta, Sonora.“What defines punk for me is respect for others, mutual support, and solidarity. That’s what punk represents to me. That’s how I see it. I mean, there are people who see it differently, but I don’t criticize or judge them. We simply create our own spaces where we can feel safe.” — Omar Mejía, 47, Yuma, Arizona
“I’ve always lived in a kind of borderland, in many aspects of my life, because my dad is Colombian, but my mom is American, so I’ve always lived between worlds, and for some reason, I think I feel a bit at home in the border region. I think it’s because of this permeability of many things that happen here; it’s like a no man’s land and everyone’s land. I think that sometimes, well, I studied sociology because I’m interested in the experience of others as a motivator in music. It’s really about understanding the experience of others.” — Natalia Serna, 39, Hermosillo, Sonora“I remember being 18 and wondering whether to become a guitarist or a singer. I took a summer course, specializing in both singing and guitar, and decided that what I enjoyed most was singing. Also, financially, it would be easier to find work as a singer than just as a guitarist. At first, my parents didn’t want me to be a musician because they were worried about the financial aspect, but after they saw that I really wanted to be a musician, they started to support me in this musical dream.” — Roberto Corral, 33, Agua Prieta, Sonora.“I used to be a mariachi. I’ve been playing vihuela since I was 12 years old. I was a mariachi for 14 years. Unfortunately, there’s no mariachis here in Douglas, so I got into making vihuelas and guitars, and that way I can stay in the mariachi community. I am a part-time luthier here and a full-time firefighter. This is my passion.” — Joel Gonzales, 42, Douglas, Arizona
“It’s a difficult thing, my job. The truth is, it’s a thousand-headed demon. You don’t know what’s going to happen. You don’t know who you’re going to meet.” — Joaquín Fragozo, 73, Puerto Peñasco, Sonora“If you want to be a good musician, you have to dedicate many hours of your day. Not just sticking with what you have, but continuing to improve your technique, your talent, and yes, investing a lot in it.” — Alfredo “Lalo” Domínguez Martínez, 25, Puerto Peñasco, Sonora.“My family listens to a lot of mariachi music. When I would listen to it, I would hear the bass playing in the background and I would be like that’s a really nice sounding beefy bass sound and I started liking it.” — Jesus Gonzalez-Medina, 20, Phoenix, Arizona
Sunday mass at St. Stephen's includes singing by the congregation and performers invited from the Douglas and Agua Prieta communities.
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Tucson summers linger well into October, and on Hispanic Heritage Day, the University of Arizona’s grassy mall is baked in sunshine and smells like beer and gasoline.
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