THE THREE FRIENDS FROM WHERE THE CLOUDS DESCEND

Rare instrumental tales from indigenous Mixtec tradition by musicians living in California

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ARTIST BIO

Los Tres Amigos De Snukivo means “the three friends from where the clouds descend.” It’s a poetic name for a mesmerizing group of musicians who play Mixtec music, music from the Oaxaca region of Mexico that at times seemed almost mythological. The band is comprised of Juan Hernandez on guitar; Alberto Lopez on violin; and Jacobo Martinez on bass. Jim Pugh from Little Village Foundation heard of Los Tres Amigos through the music grapevine and zig-zagged his way along the central coast of California to find them. As he shares, “I knew what I wanted, but I was profoundly limited in how I was going to find it. ‘Listen for the metaphor’ translator Esperanza Salazar had told me about their instrumental music. Metaphor in instrumental music? Yes! What I hadn’t realized is that these musicians don’t speak Spanish or English. It’s like a whole new world of sound.” And that’s where it all began. Los Tres Amigos Snuviko is a beautiful listening experience, because the music is a reflection of all there is to feel and learn in this world. The music has unusual tonal and rhythmic qualities that linger after a listen. These artists represent 25,000 Mixtecs who live in Santa Maria and are unknown to the larger world. Let the music be your guide.
-Rick Estrin

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