Mexican ensemble performs at House of Culture, Benque Viejo

Courtesy of the Mexican Embassy and NICH, the Xalapa Marimba and Percussion Ensemble will be performing in Belize City and Benque Viejo del Carmen beginning this evening. The much acclaimed group comprises eight individuals and professionals of the University of Veracruz in Mexico. After their first performance last year, the group is back for an encore and unique presentation in percussion to create music. News Five caught up with them and according to the group’s Director, Francisco Martinez, the group is feeling much at home.

Francisco Martinez, Dir., Xalapa Marimba and Percussion Ensemble
“Most of us are percussion students at the university of Veracruz. And the important role of percussion music is that it’s real basic; you can make music with only your body and from that point on to all the percussion instruments we brought with us. We are going to play some traditional Mexican music with marimba and some Afro-Cuban percussion music and African music. As part of the university education we have, we play all these orchestral percussion instruments like the snare drums, cymbals all that, but this time we have the marimba, which is from the south eastern region of Mexico, and we have the bata-drums which come from Africa and they are real; popular in Cuba, conga drums for the Afro-Cuban percussion and jimbe which comes from Guinea in Africa.”

The group is playing at a full moon concert tonight at the House of Culture. And on Friday night, they will be playing at the International Benque Festival.

And also in the Cayo District, World renowned music professor, Fernando Morales, from the same Veracruz University will lead a marimba concert at the Mount Carmen High School tomorrow. Morales will also be giving a lecture on the socio cultural impact of marimba in western Belize. The event coincides with the school’s multimedia funding appeal to facilitate music and art education.