Holidays

The Sonic Trace team is currently embedded with La Burbuja – our portable sound booth – at Santa Cecilia Church in South LA. Every Sunday we gather dozens of interviews asking people why they left their country of origin, why they stayed in LA, and about the importance of going back. We also document many of the church’s activities. At Santa Cecilia Church, the …

If you grew up Latin American (or Spaniard) and Catholic, the Chrismas season isn’t over yet. This morning probably finds you celebrating with goodies left by the Reyes Magos, and having a wonderful sweet bread called Rosca de Reyes for breakfast with a huge cup of hot chocolate, atole or champurrado to wash it down. January 6th is El Día de Los Reyes Magos …

¡Feliz 2013! The beginning of a new year has arrived, but for the past three weeks millions of Angelenos have been taking part in holiday rituals and traditions imported from towns, cities and villages in Mexico. From posadas to processions, radish exhibits to pre-hispanic dance, Sonic Trace has been busy documenting moments of reverence, nostalgia and joy with Angelenos that share a deep bond …

A Tamal Feast (photos by Javier Cabral)

As part of their new Cultural Continuum series, Mercado La Paloma in South Los Angeles hosted a Tamal workshop last week through their popular Yucatán Restaurant “Chichen Itza,” and we were invited.

Chef Gilberto Cetina Showing Everybody What’s up With Tamales Yucatecos

The Mercado, located across the street from the DMV offices and a stones throw away from USC, …

December 12 is the day of the Virgen of Guadalupe. Across Mexico – and the world – devotees flock to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the heart Mexico City to celebrate and pay tribute to the patron saint that Catholics call the Queen of Mexico and the Empress of the Americas.
Los Angeles is the second city with the largest of …

Maria Rosita Cabral and her proud turkey
Contrary to popular belief, Thanksgiving is not always what you learned about in school. The imagery of overflowing cornucopias and indians eating in peace with pilgrims never existed in my Mexican American upbringing. The paper cut-out “pilgrim” hats that I made in Elementary school had no significance beyond the lesson that day. No, for my family, the only …