by Kimi Eisele Reprinted from the September issue of BorderLore, online journal of the Southwest Folklife Alliance Michelle Téllez first heard the lively harmonic sounds of son jarocho music at a community concert in Los Angeles. The band playing was Mono Blanco, a well-known troupe from Veracruz, Mexico. “The sound drew me in. It was … Read more

Reprinted from the September issue of BorderLore, online journal of the Southwest Folklife Alliance by Kimi Eisele To look into one of Magdalena Nowacka-Jannotta’s colorful and intricate papercuttings is to look into another world and wish you could go there. At least that’s how it is for me. Magdalena practices the art of wycinanki, or … Read more

Reprinted from the September issue of BorderLore, online journal of the Southwest Folklife Alliance by Kimi Eisele Julie Ramon-Pierson grew up hearing stories about her great grandparents, farmers and ranchers south of San Xavier District of the Tohono O’odham Nation. “My great grandmother would collect mesquite pods and store them in a gunny sack. In … Read more

Reprinted from the September issue of BorderLore, online journal of the Southwest Folklife Alliance by Kimi Eisele Yamila El-Khayat remembers sitting in the back of the festival booth at Tucson Meet Yourself as a young girl. Her mother and aunt and other Chilean women prepared and sold Chilean food every year at the festival until … Read more

Your favorite festival returns to downtown Tucson this fall, but this year on slightly new territory. Ready for a downtown block party? This year, we’ll surround the Tucson Public Library, running along North Stone and Church Avenues, between Congress and Alameda, and on Pennington Ave. We’re excited to continue animating downtown streets alive through cultural … Read more