The Secretariat of Cultures and Arts of Oaxaca canceled the artists by phone and via WhatsApp 72 hours before the presentations; they accuse a lack of respect for them, their dedication, time and expenses
Mazatec artists denounced damages and racism by the Secretariat of Cultures and Arts of Oaxaca after the agency cancelled the First Composition Contest “Canto a mi tierra” (Song to my land), held in Teotitlán de Flores Magón, in the Cañada region of Oaxaca.
“I want to ask for more respect towards us as indigenous people and as artists, and remind them that we are not objects of anyone to be manipulated in their own way, we are people with expenses, with feelings and various commitments,” said the composer and artist, Cecilia Rivera Martínez from the municipality of Huautla de Jiménez.
At the same time, Rodney Jesús Cerqueda Ángulo, a composer of traditional music, denounced a lack of respect from the Secretariat of Cultures, after they cancelled 72 hours before the presentation of the contest was to take place. “I ask for seriousness and maturity in the events called for the good of the rescue of traditional Oaxacan music.”
This was after the Oaxaca Department of Culture and Arts cancelled the Mazatec artists by phone and WhatsApp, 72 hours before the presentations of “Canto a mi tierra.”
The artists told EL UNIVERSAL that in order to enter this contest, not only dedication was needed, but also time and expenses. “I took on a musical project that generated a lot of expenses, rehearsals, sleepless nights, sometimes not eating, moving six musicians who also make a living from music, registering the work to be presented in the INDATOR, as well as bringing my documents in PDF and physical form, expenses in travel expenses, all in two weeks,” explained Cecilia Rivera, known as Jta Fatee.
Rodney Jesús Cerqueda agreed, on what it meant to have the material ready only to have the contest cancelled three days later. “My work is not done overnight, it involved sacrifices, dedication, love for my Mazatec roots and recognition of all the musicians and performers who were involved in my musical project.”
The argument by the staff of the agency, expressed through calls and via WhatsApp, was that there were active fires in the region and then, that there was a lack of attendance; however, the forest fires in the region were in another municipality and not in Teotitlán, in addition, the call did not indicate how many participants had to show up to be able to carry out the contest, the artists point out.
“I want to expose the Secretariat of Cultures and Arts of Oaxaca for abuse and racism in our region. To Mr. Victor Cata for his lack of seriousness,” said the artist Jta Fatee. Because the day they canceled her, they did not give her any well-founded explanations.
“I was punctual with the delivery of the material. The staff of the Secretariat of Cultures and Arts received the documents on time and in the correct form since May 21, in addition to the song in mp3 format, on USB and then they canceled us three days later,” he added.
The artists were invited to participate in the Mixteca region, on June 13 in the municipality of Huajuapan de León, located 8 hours from their community, which implied transporting musicians, instruments, in addition to a series of expenses, for which reason, they did not accept said invitation.
“If they had told us that it was due to the fires, and that out of solidarity with our people who were being affected they were changing the date, then, it would have been understood that they were also empathetic, but, on the contrary, we were already going through a complicated situation and they came without arguments, appearing discriminatory,” they emphasized.
The call was launched on April 22, to Oaxacan composers belonging to the 16 cultures, the Afro-Mexican and mestizo people of Oaxaca. The regional phases of the First Oaxacan Song Composition Contest 2024 “Canto de mi tierra” took place from June 13 to 16.
The state phase will take place on June 28 in the city of Oaxaca at the Plaza de la Danza.
Source: oaxaca.eluniversal
