Lenguaje (Spanish for “Language”) involves three movements, each movement containing its own language and meshing traditional wind band textures as part of the instrumentation with genres, such as Indigenous music, cumbias, zapateados, and just Mexican “sounds” in general, creating a tapestry of an individual with multifaceted identities. The first movement speaks to my Indigenous roots, precisely that of the Zapotec people, with much of the movement emulating rhythms and sounds that were probably heard during pre-Columbian times. The second movement connects to the first and third movements as it discusses my love for nature, specifically through meditations and the outside landscape. A lot of Indigenous people are connected in some way through nature, and I credit my love of nature to my maternal family and my California upbringing. Finally, the third movement emulates not a fiesta but a celebration of Mexican culture through the cumbia and zapateado, two incredibly rich genres of music with a lot of history in Mexico.

In this composition, I intertwine both the genres and tonalities, using dissonance as a driving tool, creating a dichotomy between popular music and the traditional canon. As an Indigenous and Latino artist, it is essential to note that many people have no idea about Indigenous culture and little awareness of Indigenous Mesoamerican and Mexican culture. As such, I would like to speak of those experiences through my music. This work joins the conversation and creates an opportunity for listeners to reflect on what it means to have a musical language that grows out of a multifaceted identity.