Tamborileros del Pastor

In contemporary northeastern Mexico, it is known with certainty that the “picota” or “música de tambora” has been played since at least 1880. Although this makes it the oldest musical expression known from the region, few remnants have been found that reveal precise clues about its origin.

This CD and booklet includes a series of field recordings of this rare Mexican folk music, captured on tape in 1990, and collected here with a series of essays exploring the past and speculative futures of the music.

This project was produced in collaboration with the transnational record label, Transitory Tapes and is produced in bilingual Spanish and English text.