Cat, voice, jarana; El Tejarocho, requinto jarocho, guitar; Rupestre Sánchez, bass; Chac 3000, electroacoustic drums
Easily—if not quite accurately—described as “jarocho punk,” the aural landscape of ¡Aparato! bridges the earthly and the ethereal. The musicians embody the narratives and struggles of the world’s migratory people: Cat (Nancy Méndez) is of Mixtec and Zapotec heritage from indigenous Oaxaca to Anaheim, California. El Tejarocho (Alexandro D. Hernández) was raised in Los Angeles, on the Texas-Mexican border, and in rural Michoacán, México. Rupestre Sánchez (Moises Baqueiro) is a chilango born and raised in the metropolis of Mexico City. Chac 3000 (Carlos Gil) is Salvadoran-Mexican from the highly international migrant city of South Gate, California. Their experiences are re-envisioned via Latinx futurism and the sounds of centuries-old plucked instruments from Mexican son traditions, the requinto jarocho and jarana, along with electric guitars, bass, and the MPC1000 electroacoustic drum hybrid. As Anne Hoffman of NPR’s Alt.Latino wrote, “¡Aparato!’s music evokes something in the collective memory of all people—the counternarrative, the quejido, the story untold but always present. In Cat’s voice there is an unflinching confrontation with pain . . . while Hernández provides an artful reminder that life goes on even in the face of deep pain, even when we’re not ready.”
Every Thursday in July and August, 5:30–8:00 p.m.
Live music begins at 6:30 p.m.
Regular Museum admission applies. Performances take place in the Sculpture Garden. In the event of rain, the Garden will close, and music will take place in Theater 1. Please note: Sculpture Garden and indoor seating are limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.
The musical component of Summer Thursdays 2018 celebrates musicians living and working in New York City. Organized in collaboration with PopRally, the series hosts a variety of sounds that explore the City’s expansive musical landscape. Each evening, unique sonic flavors fill the Sculpture Garden with a range of blended genres such as dream punk, Afrofuturist soul, funk fusion, hip-hop, experimental, and lo-fi baroque pop.