Students will have the ability to immerse themselves in indigenous American music at Oxnard College this month.

The event, “Sounds of the Ancient Americas”, will be held on March 18 at 12:45 p.m. in LS-8, the Clock Tower Auditorium. The presentation will showcase instruments and music from pre-Hispanic (before Spain’s arrival) sounds, by musician Martin Espino. This presentation is part of OC’s Literature, Arts and Lecture Series.

English Professor Shelly Savren, who organized the event, is looking forward to it.

“Given the fact that many of our students are from Latin America, particularly Mexico, or have roots there, they would be interested in this cultural aspect of their heritage,” Savren said.

Espino says that this event will be a great way for students to learn about the music of other cultures, such as the Mayan culture.

“Any experience of another culture is great. But this event will allow people to hear rarely heard beautiful, exotic and cosmic instruments from our ancient Mexicano heritage,” Espino said.

Espino will also talk about pre-Hispanic culture, and discuss things misunderstood about the culture’s history.

However, it is the music that Espino is looking forward to the most.
“The instruments are visually different…and the sounds, as I mentioned, are wonderful,” Espino said

Espino will bring exotic instruments unknown to most students.

“If I name them the majority of people won’t know what the heck I’m talking about,” Espino said. “Some will, but it’s best to say that there are sounds rarely heard here, all produced on acoustic natural instruments.”

Nevertheless, the type of instruments featured will be familiar to attendees.

“Basically I have the four groups of instruments any culture has: Voice, Wind, Percussion and String,” Espino said.

The wind instruments are particularly unique, according to Espino.

“The wind family in Ancient Mexico is incredibly vast, with things that sound scary to strange to weird to spiritual and eternally beautiful,” Espino said.

The event is free and all are welcome to attend. Savren may be contacted for more information at [email protected] or at 805-986-5800 ext. 1951.