In Mexico, an Indigenous Triqui artist embraces his roots through contemporary rap

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Backstage at a celebration of Indigenous peoples in Mexico City’s sprawling central square, Carlos CGH traced his fingers across a black and red “gabán,” which is similar to a poncho. The garment, native to the Triqui people in western Oaxaca, is a source of pride for the 24-year-old rapper and reserved for special occasions. As the rapper — whose full name is Carlos Guadalupe Hernández — prepared for his performance, Oaxacan muralist Alberto Sebastián Bautista Figueroa brainstormed details. He crafted a drawing with the word “RAICES,” or “ROOTS,” in twisting strokes, for a mural he planned to create during the performance. “We’re always proud,” Guadalupe later said on stage, wearing the gabán. “This goes out to all craftspeople who are here, people don’t know all the history and all the resistance behind one garment.” Mexican-Triqui artist Carlos CGH, wearing a black and red “gabán,” a garment native to the Triqui people in western Oaxaca, performs during a celebration of Indigenous peoples, as artist Alberto Sebastián Bautista Figueroa spray paints a mural on a stage wall, at the Zocalo in Mexico City, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Mariana Martínez Barba) Such details are an important part of his identity as a musician, representing his origins as a descendant of the Triqui nation. “To my Triqui brothers – farmworkers, students, doctors and all the women,” Guadalupe rapped in Spanish. “Like love at first sight,” he recalled after seeing local lyricists perform. “We learned that through rap we can make songs that would interest the new generations to speak it (Triqui) again.” Mexican-Triqui artist Carlos CGH, wearing a black and red “gabán,” a garment native to the Triqui people in western Oaxaca, holds up a T-shirt with a message that reads in Spanish: “Triqui nation resist!”, during a celebration of Indigenous peoples at the Zocalo, in Mexico City, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. To mark the 50th anniversary of hip-hop’s birth, Oaxaca’s Sound Archive, an independent project to demonstrate the state’s musical diversity, created a “sonic” map of the region’s most influential rappers earlier this year. Among Guadalupe’s peers are rappers who take pride in rapping in Mixtec, Zapotec, Cuicatec and other languages. “When you look up the Triqui community on the internet, a lot of things are going to come up regarding some of the problems we have,” Guadalupe said. “Here in Mexico City, I come to talk about what’s within my community – the celebrations, the craftsmanship, the children, everyone who has stood out.” On stage, Guadalupe’s vision of Triqui culture comes to life. The Mexican-Triqui artist Carlos CGH holds up a mask worn during “El Baile del Diablo,” a traditional dance from the Oaxacan coast, while standing backstage prior to his performance at a celebration of Indigenous peoples, at the Zocalo in Mexico City, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Mariana Martínez Barba) The crowd cheered for “El Baile del Diablo,” or “Devil’s Dance,” a traditional dance from the Oaxacan coast. “I will never forget my culture, tradition and language,” he said with pride at the end. – This Summarize was created by Neural News AI (V1). Source: https://apnews.com/171e79cafef8eab83034d69bc4f868ff