In this guest post, Cynthia Weill, author of the Mexican Folk Art series, talks about the rich artistry of Oaxaca, Mexico, and how it manifests in her latest book, !Tocamos!: Mexican Folk Art Music Makers in English and Spanish.
Young readers will delight in learning about concepts, like the alphabet, opposites & colors, from this critically acclaimed picture book series featuring vibrant wood carvings and rhythmic text that's fun to read aloud in both English and Spanish!
In a nation of unparalleled artisanal traditions, the crafts of Oaxaca, Mexico are a stand out. Not surprisingly, Oaxaca is also rich in other folkloric traditions, particularly music. My Mexican Folk Art bilingual book series uses the wonderful crafts of that nation (mostly Oaxaca) to illustrate basic ideas for children in Spanish and English. While visiting Oaxaca, I take great pleasure in spending time in the the Zócalo (town square) where local and national orchestras play to the delight of all passers by.
Traditional orchestra in Zocalo, Oaxaca, Mexico.
I wanted to recreate the magic of one of these local orchestras and its musicians with Oaxacan folk art pieces. After working together on an earlier book called Vámonos: Mexican Folk Art Transport in English and Spanish, I knew that the animated avian wood carvings of Avelino Pérez would be perfect. He has a rare gift; he is able to imagine and innovate as well as impart personality to his pieces. He is a master artisan.
Avelino lives high in a mountain range above Oaxaca called the Sierra Norte, which made daily visits impossible. Through the wonders of WhatsApp, Avelino and I were able to text, talk, and share images. Victor Sánchez (a fearless friend and taxi driver) and I made the treacherous mountain trek to pick up the completed figures. Despite torrential rain, washed out roads, and several encounters with cows refusing to give way, we were able to collect all of the little musicians over the year.
After some very careful packing jobs, I returned to New York with the pieces. A few months later, photographer friend Otto Piron — who has photographed three other books in the folk art series — came to my apartment. We worked for 15 hours a day over the next four days to take the images that later appeared in ¡Tocamos!. Afterwards, Otto worked tirelessly to select the best photos and clipped the pictures for graphic designer Sergio Gomez.
Photographer Otto Piron in Cindy’s apartment
I was able to keep the little orchestra for a few more months. However, like all of the folk art figures in the Mexican Folk Art series, they were destined for the permanent Mesoamerican collection at the Field Museum of Chicago. This past spring, art movers came, and with the greatest of care, packed each little bird and their musical instrument in foam, then drove the figures to the midwest where they were just as carefully processed for the museum’s collection.
“When the Anthropology team received the initial donation offer from Ms. Cynthia Weill for these pieces, we were all thrilled. Having accepted the beautiful pieces made by Mr. Avelino Pérez for Cynthia's previous book, Vámonos, into our collection in 2022, we were eagerly anticipating their next collaboration. The beautifully crafted birds and their instruments made by Mr. Pérez for ¡Tocamos! are no less exemplary, and are standout amongst our collections of contemporary works from Oaxaca.” — Emma Turner-Trujillo, Assistant Registrar, Anthropology Collections at the Field Museum of Chicago
Avelino and I will present the book to the Oaxacan community during my next visit to Mexico. Happily, friends have already been able to bring Avelino copies of ¡Tocamos!. He wrote me via WhatsApp:
“Having these figures in a book gives me so much pride, satisfaction and so much happiness. After 35 years of being an artisan, although a little late, my work is finally recognized. So pleased that with this book more people will know the work that gives me so much joy to create.”
As for me, I love Avelino’s work so very much. It is a great delight to see ¡Tocamos! used as a vehicle to highlight his lifetime achievement as well as teach the names of musical instruments in Spanish and English.
Avelino Pérez with his wife, Martina Morgado
Cynthia Weill's fascination with the crafts of Oaxaca began while she was working in Mexico as a Fulbright exchange teacher. She has published several books in the Mexican Folk Art series, which features different folk art of Oaxaca. Many of the figures showcased in this series are now part of the permanent Mesoamerican Anthropology collections at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois. Cindy lives in New York City and can be found online at cynthiaweill.net
