Son jarocho isn’t just a style of music from Mexico’s verdant Gulf Coast state of Veracruz. It’s a way of life and a culture expression that encompasses birth, marriage, death and everything in between. In collaboration with the San Francisco Son Jarocho Festival, Brava Theater and Round Whirled Records, the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival presents a special lunchtime concert showcasing some of the finest contemporary son jarocho groups. Topical and timeless, son jarocho is playful music created on signature instruments like the requinto (a diminutive guitar), the eight-string jarana jarocha, and the clattery quijada, a percussion implement fashioned from the jawbone of an ass.

Sonex is at the forefront of a son jarocho renaissance in Veracruz, Mexico, as these virtuoso musicians combine the folk music traditions learned from the elders with virtuosic performance skills and a fusion of elements of rock, jazz, hip-hop and funk. This unique blend is a representation of contemporary Mexican culture, rooted in deep traditions that help them explore new musical frontiers.

These young musicians are steeped in the son jarocho tradition, studying with the master jaraneros, soneros and dancers, rocking the traditional street party fandangos in Tlacotalpan since they were children. Later they studied music formally and explored jazz, rock and other music styles and have performed in some of Mexico’s most prestigious venues and international festivals.

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