Traditional Mexican Clothing

I've observed that Mexican music falls into two classes. One is very, very good; the other is so horrible that it could quite possibly induce a nervous breakdown or at least a brain tumor after forced, prolonged exposure. Listening to too much of the latter could be hazardous to your health.

The orchestra here in Guanajuato is one of the finest I've ever heard, and I listen with a critical ear. I was a music major at the university many decades ago. I majored in voice performance and music theory.

I've often been moved to tears of joyous rapture listening to some the finest vocalists and instrumentalists-all Mexicans. But, the most exciting thing is to see how many locals show up at the concerts. The symphony is big here. I love that.

Mariachi is also big here. In the city of Guanajuato, you will see some very traditionally dressed Mariachi bands in El Jardin (the main plaza). There will be several of these bands playing all at once for different groups of tourists who are eating in the restaurants or sitting on the benches. This results in what I call "The Mariachi Screech."

Playing instruments that are in tune and singing in the same key as the instruments does not seem to be a high priority with Mariachi bands. This, of course, results in an interestingly incomprehensible cacophonous roar. But, amazingly, people pay these guys to sing at their tables. It makes me wonder just how that affects their digestion. I can only speculate.

Another form of music is what I call "The Bus Musicians." I can't think of anyplace in the States where there is anything like this. Decades ago, when I traveled in New York and Philly, I saw a lot of sidewalk performers with open instrument cases or hats where you could drop a buck or two but I never saw any Bus Musicians.

Bus Musicians are people with guitars (or some other "instrument"...sometimes nothing more than a comb and a tin can...go figure!) who board the bus-no matter how crowded-and start wailing like a cat that is being tortured horribly. The guitar sound as though it has never been tuned. The singer sings like he has needed to move his bowels for a terribly long time. Then, after he has finished his torture chamber musical number and has tortured all the passengers, he starts demanding money.

These "musicians" ask for money and people actually pay them.

This, of course, simply reinforces the behavior of taking captive an entire bus load of helpless bus passengers who just want to get from point A to point B, and forcing them to endure what doesn't even come close to passing for music. I think they should be dragged away and beaten, but no one ever asks me for an opinion about anything in this town.

And, I am talking about those who pay money to the so-called musicians and not the Musical Inquisitors who dole out the agony.

Here is an additional benefit about the Bus Musicians that I cannot forget to tell you. When the bus is full (as is usually the case), you, the passenger, will be afforded the distinct honor of getting cold-cocked by the guitar as the "musician" engages in his Songs of Death. You also might have the privilege of a nice shower of spittle from the more radically rowdy spewing lips.

There is one guy, though I've yet to see him on the bus offering his version of tormenting people, who is worth mentioning. He offers a really special treat. Though I would not normally understand one word spoken from his caterwauling mouth, I understand him because he sings some of The Beatles' greatest hits. Even though he hacks on an out-of-tune guitar and sings off-key, I can recognize The Beatles. The horror is that he sings the songs in English.

His performing venues are the parks and plazas. He sits with his back to one of the many beautiful fountains. He has the "Jose Feliciano" look going for him, which accompanies his horrendously frightening singing.

The other day, he was butchering "I want to hold your hand." It came out something like this:

"Ah wanna hoe who haaaa... Ah wanna hoe who haaaa...and when ah tosh who ah fee apple in-sigh..."

And then, he got to the chorus,

"And when I touch you I feel happy inside. It's such a feeling I can't hide."

He began screeching and convulsing to such an extent he made women swoon with the vapors, made children cry, dogs faint, and shopkeepers come running out expecting to find someone being murdered.

His special musical number, however, is the song "Twist and Shout." His version sounds something like this:

"Twee who s-howt, Twee who s-howt. Com-ah. Com-ah bay-bah..." and on and on.

Do you see what you are missing here in Guanajuato, Mexico?

The Waltz

The waltz, formerly known as the "Waltzen", rose to popularity in many parts of Austria and Germany in the early 19th century. During this time, there were many variations of the dance and they were each called by the name of the region where it originated. The dance that came from Landl ob der Enns, which is a region in upper Austria, became popular and was well-known by the abbreviation "Landler". The Landler was originally danced using heavy shoes and was comprised of complicated underarm turns, stamping, slapping and hopping around. But by the 1800s, it was performed with lighter footwear. This new version had similar quick gliding steps from the modern waltz but was danced to a slower tempo.

Another variation of the waltz was the "Boston". This is a slower version of the more upbeat Viennese Waltz because it is danced at 90 beats a minute. It started in America around 1870. The Boston was distinct from the other versions of the waltz because it was the first ballroom dance to have the dancers' feet at a parallel position rather than in the usual turned-out position. However, it retained most of the turning figures in the waltz and introduced additional steps such as the dip, wherein the partners would hold hands on each other's hips.

The present form of the dance is thought to have been developed in England around 1910 and was a derived from both the Landler and the Boston. It this version, the performers are able to add more figures to the slow tempo. The slow tempo also allowed dancers to add slow "picture" steps and poses and syncopated beats to give the waltz light and shade to make it more fascinating to watch.

The Tango

The Tango is a light and energetic Flamenco dance that originated in Spain. The Modern Tango, however, is quite far from its origins for it is now a combination of different styles of folk dance. The Spanish dance and other Spanish folk dances spread to the South Americas when the Spanish conquistadors took over. This emigration supposedly contributed to the formation of the Modern Tango. However, the forerunner of the Modern Tango was the African "Tangano" dance and was imported when Negro slaves were brought to the Americas. Over the centuries, these dances merged with other folk dances of the New World.

These dances from Spain and Africa eventually became combined with another folk dance from Havana, Cuba known as the Habanera. This merge occurred in the slums of Buenos Aires, Argentina in the late 19th century but worked its way up to the upper classes in the early 20th century. The merge was known as the "Milonga". This dance is known and distinct for its softness and intimacy between the couple and the visual emphasis on the movements of the legs. However, this was considerably altered in Paris in the 1930s when the choreography was combined with the stiff torso seen in other ballroom dances therefore giving it a disjointed impression. The visual emphasis in turn was pointed at the torso and the heads of the dancers. This change is retained in the Modern Tango.

This dance was first performed for the elite of Western Europe by France's greatest music-hall luminary, Mistinguett in 1910 in Paris, France. After his performance, "Tango-mania" ran all over Paris, then London and even to New York despite of World War I.

The mania was taken even further when it was performed by Rudolph Valentino in his movie "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" in 1921. The Tango's fame is strong even today when Al Pacino and Gabrielle Anwar danced in "Scent of a Woman" in 1992 and Arnold Schwarzeneggar and Tia Carrere in "True Lies" in 1994 gave demonstrations.

Mexico is famous for producing the finest quality of Jewelry in the world. Most Mexican Jewelry contains elements of silver. It is believed that one fifth of the entire silver deposit is contained in Mexico. The country is home to the largest silver mines and is home to such cities that are exclusively popular due to its silver craftsman.

Texaco: A birth place

The most amazing of the cities is Texaco which still boasts original Mexican Jewelry shops that have been partially operating from hundred of years. Hordes of visitors from all around the world converge on the cities marketplace to buy valuable silver. The city of Texaco became famous in the 14th century due to the Spanish quests for Mexican riches. The town lost its luster two hundred years later only to be revived by the great American, William Spartling. He invited the Texcon craftsman to revive the lost art of Mexican Jewelry by using their natural skills of carving silver. Soon, the town came back into spotlight and is now the center of Mexican Jewelry art. Its museum and historical buildings such as the towering mass of Santa Prisca Cathedral provide a glimpse into the rich history of Jewelry making tradition.

A taste of Silver

Mexican Jewelry and silver are synonymous to each other. The silver is used to enhance the beauty of precious stones and gold pendants. Mexican craftsman are adept in crafting Jewelry that has many forms and textures. The silver used in Mexican jewelry is very pure; therefore it is able to produce immense reflection. Another kind of silver that is used in Mexico contains high deposits of rhodium. The metal makes silver thick and has a darker finish. Such is the density of rhodium that it is known as white gold. Mexican Jewelry, due to a high tendency of silver had been known to tarnish. Now, many manufacturers use a polished compound that reduces the purity to 92.5 percent but greatly enhance the life of Mexican Jewelry.