Course code:

HS4095

Level:

MA - Intermediate/Advanced

Class size limit:

15

Typically offered:

Once

Throughout history, music has played an important role in various cultures and in the case of Mesoamerica it was no different,since it is known that since pre-Columbian times, various peoples of what is now Mexico had a great variety of musical instruments that accompanied their religious life, festivities and dances. With the passage of time and from the conquest, music began to take on different nuances and began to diversify thanks to the incursion of a variety of new musical instruments that arrived with the Spanish as well as the new rhythms contributed by the African population that arrived during the colonization and that today form an important part of the culture of our Afro-Mexican communities, thus enriching our ethnic diversity and sound. Today Mesoamerican cultures continue to express their worldview through their sacred music, accompanying songs and dances with melodies that carry an inevitable syncretism and musical reinterpretation, thus achieving an extension of their sound culture through time. For this reason, this course aims for the student to have an approach to the main musical manifestations of Mexico, highlighting its cultural importance for current communities, as well as knowing the contemporary rhythms that in someway influence the construction of their cultural identity and ethnic recognition through music. The course is designed as an immersive experience in Spanish language and Latin American culture to help further the proficiency of those students who already have an intermediate, advanced or native level fluency in the language. All aspects of the course, including submitted assignments, will be conducted in Spanish. For each session, the student will have to carry out short investigations and readings related to the topics explored in student led discussions. Said readings will be accompanied by audio and/or audiovisual material that they should listen to and / or watch before each session. As a final product, the students must carry out an essay related to some theme of the course or, if they prefer, with some rhythm or musical style related to their own culture.

Prerequisites:

Intermediate level of Spanish language competence.

Always visit the Registrar's Office for the official course catalog and schedules.