11/08/09 National Public Radio Weekend Edition - Sunday
We learn of one man’s quest to channel the ancient music of the Aztec and Mayan peoples through new compositions that combine inspiration with scholarly research.
Length: 3:13 ~ Listen
Sometimes…amid the bustle and harried pace of the day…percussionist David López closes his eyes and imagines what his street corner in Mexico City might have sounded like before there was traffic, before there was a Mexico, even before the Spanish conquistadors arrived centuries ago.
David López is a musician and university professor, and he has a passion for the music and instruments of the ancient Aztec and Mayan peoples. In this week's What's in a Song, we present a story is about a piece he composed and plays called Corazon de Fuego, or Heart of Fire, and it is based on descriptions written by Spanish explorers who observed a ritual performed by the Aztecs at midday when the sun was high. Below we include this song without López' commentary, as well as a second piece he wrote called Danza de Concheros.
Listen to Corazon de Fuego (Full Length: 5:41).
Listen to Danza de Concheros (Length: 4:18).
Visit David's website at www.tunkul.com.mx/portadaing.html.
Aztec Whistles:
