Mexico culture guide

Mexico Culture

A homage to Mexico culture because Mexico breathes with life.

To be touched by the cultural landscape of Mexico is to feel more alive. It is like having fuego en la sangre (fire in the blood) in that a new awe and desire for life is awakened. Well that's how it was for me living in the Yucatan and in Veracruz with my Mexican partner. And when you are away from Mexico, as we are for now, something tugs at your heart calling you to return to this great reservoir of cultural histories, and the great colorful canvas that is Mexico.

Experiences so exotic to Westerners, are just part of the fabric of Mexico: Being seranaded by a group of musicians in your courtyard at 4am with all the neighbors standing on their rooftops listening in; dancing in the heat of the day to live music in a plaza; buying taquitos from a doorway at 3am; watching trains pass the Sol brewery with passengers sitting on the roof heading to the Northern border; buying a kilo of tortillas for 9 pesos (around 5 cents) from a tortilleria or from a man on a bicycle tooting a horn; sampling cheeses and meats at the markets before you decide to buy; selecting a pinata for Ano Nuevo (New Year); cooking in individually handmade pottery; circulating emails about revolution; seeing any of the HUGE international art exhibitions in Mexico City; being a member of a rondalla (guitar ensemble).

And that's just the middle-class.

The many pre-Columbian cultures that have somehow endured the Spanish conquest, and later the modernization of Mexico, continue to nourish the national identity. Any time revolution is in the air, the Mexicans turn to their roots. The ancient cultures hold answers to what has been eroded by modernity and by Western influence, an alternative to malinchismo the weakness for foreign things. Huicho jewellers, Mayan speakers, and Oaxacan weavers all contribute by living their lives much as they always have, performing a balancing act between the ancient and the modern Mexico.

And whilst the Conquistadors brought untold horrors to Mexico, the Spanish eventually contributed some things of beauty:

the infectious rhythms and flurry of movement that is flamenco dancing was fused with the local to create folklorico ballet

The complex rhythms of Spanish guitar combined with local instruments to create mariachi music

The elaborate Spanish embroidery of old is still seen in the clothes of bullfighters and mariachi bands

If you want to know more about Mexico culture, this is the place for you.

To share more about Mexico culture, mi casa es su casa (my website is your website).

The focus of Mexico-culture-guide is on the real and the meaningful.

We showcase the culture of everyday Mexicans living in Mexico; the music, art, and traditions that are alive for Mexicans today.

Mexico Blog: The Mexico Blog is your way not to miss a mariachi beat of new material on this site, by letting you know when new web pages appear.
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Contact Us: Contact us at Mexico-Culture-Guide
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mexican clothing: mexican clothing
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tequila: The drink first used by priests became an item of National pride after the Mexican revolution. The history of tequila is intertwined with the history of Mexico itself..
Frida Kahlo: The art of the valiant and vivacious Frida Kahlo is moving in both it's naive style and autobiographical content.
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