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Musicians in the Guatemalan Community of New Orleans By Devon Robbie Introduction: Julio and César / Ovi-G and The Froggies /Family History of Music
Introduction: Julio and César It is a beautiful afternoon on the last day of the annual New Orleans French Quarter Fest. A little removed from the bustle of the downtown festivities, Julio and César perform in the Botanical Gardens as part of "Domingo Latina," the City Park Sunday evening concert series. White chairs dot the lawn near the stage and under big oak trees where people sit and enjoy the weather, music, and scenery. Among the audience are a few families whose children alternately dance about or stand intently watching the performers. Scattered couples dance occasionally along the sides of the stage; one couple in particular, a shy wife and an encouraging husband, dance throughout most of the program. Julio and César Herrera, accompanied by a percussionist and their regular bass guitar player, César's son Andrew Herrera, play an exciting show full of guitar rhythms, contrasting melodies, and soft voices. They perform with a relaxed attitude, evidence in their soft banter with the audience and with each other between songs. Their quiet intensity shows in the speed of their fingers over the guitar strings, the looks of concentration on their faces. The contrast between Julio and César is clear, the first more energetic, and engaging, the latter is quieter and calmer.
Julio and César include songs from a variety of countries including Spain, Mexico, Argentina, and Guatemala. This diversity is a hallmark of their international style which has, according to Julio, "a little bit of everything," and has been created from "a combination of cultures." Julio and César Herrera, the main members of the Julio and César Band, are originally from Guatemala, specifically the city of Huehuetenango, and have been in New Orleans for over 30 years. They maintain close ties with their family and hometown, trying to visit at least once a year, but have built their lives and careers in Louisiana. Julio and César describe their music as constantly evolving, attributing this, in part, to their exposure from an early age to many cultures. They talk about growing up in Guatemala, and learning to "sing in Italian" and "play Greek music," along with the "folklore music" of the country and other "popular songs that our parents used to sing." While they say that these songs will stay with them, they believe that their sound has improved as they have "met a lot of cultures," and are resolved to "keep up with the new music that comes out every day, new styles and everything." While Julio and César began playing together many years ago, they assert that, "We cannot just stay in our old style. We need to keep learning." This process is evident in the creativity and improvisation, along with their mastery of many different musical styles that they bring to their performances. One thing that characterizes Julio and César's music is their use of the guitar. The majority of the time, they play Spanish or classical guitars, described by César as "nylon-string guitars, you know, soft melodies," either acoustically or with little amplification. They play a variety of songs and styles, rather than only playing music traditionally performed on these instruments. César describes their style by explaining that, "we play all kinds of music with these instruments. Sometimes the instruments are not for merengue or something, but we play merengue on these guitars. You know, that's our difference." They also take pride in putting their own spin on things. As Julio adds, "When we perform a style - any music or jazz or traditional music - we always put our own touch on the guitars. We are not doing a repetition of the American style, but our own creation." Julio and César tailor their performances to each audience, reflecting their highly tuned ability to read the crowd. Julio describes that, "depending on the occasion and the atmosphere, we try and adjust to the people." They identify Louisiana as a diverse location, describing how "it's a melting pot of cultures here," and hope that their music can both add to the mix and benefit from it. Julio and César feel that their music helps other immigrants to remember their own countries, and describe how "people that we play to request music from us and they remember their countries." They also feel that their music allows them to, "bring happiness to people, lift their spirits," and "bring part of the [Guatemalan] culture to this culture." Though Julio and César have embraced a contemporary style and don't focus on playing traditional music in their public performances, their philosophy on music and culture acknowledges the place of tradition. César explains that he and Julio, "belong to a different country but we came here and adjust to this culture, but keep our culture with us." The insightful way in which the Herrera brothers view their roles as musicians is clear as César describes how, "when people come from other countries they adjust to this culture and they may forget about their original culture." But he notes that he and Julio, through their music, "try to conserve our traditions and that culture." Introduction: Ovi-G and The Froggie It is a busy night at Carreta's Grill in Slidell, about half an hour away from New Orleans, and the Froggies' music can be heard through the door of the restaurant. The band is set up near the bar and their extensive collection of instruments stretches along an entire wall. Ovi-J, the youngest member of the group and Ovi-G's son-called Ovi-J to differentiate him from his father; the group's namesake-mans the large percussion section. To his right are the two Giron daughters: Michelle on vocals and keyboard and Susseth on base. Next to them are Ovidio Giron, or Ovi-G, the leader and father of the group, also on vocals as well as keyboard, trumpet and marimba, a percussion instrument that resembles a xylophone, and is the national instrument of Guatemala. Traditionally, marimbas are made of wood and very large, but the Froggies use a smaller metal marimba, designed to be easier to transport and play in a variety of settings. As they perform,the members of the band work together with concentrated excitement, despite the bustle of the busy restaurant, which is filled with large groups, families, and younger couples. Ovi-G and the Froggies' music is a lively mix of Caribbean or tropical rhythms, bright vocals and melodies, and diverse instrumentation. The Froggies describe their style as a combination of Latin dance music, like salsa and meringue along with lesser-known soca and tropical, percussion-driven Caribbean styles, and traditional marimba music blended, at times, with North American classic rock of the 1970s. While the Froggies do not regularly play traditional Guatemalan music, the marimba is a very important part of the music of the country. Roberto Villacorta, the former President of the Association of Guatemalans in Louisiana, describes the folkloric music of Guatemala as, "a soft music. (Some people tell me that it is a sad music)," and identifies the most "traditional" music style as El Son, which utilizes a marimba along with other instruments. The Association itself owns a full size marimba, which, ideally, is played by seven people. Before costs became prohibitive, the Association regularly flew performers from Guatemala to play at cultural events and parties. Villacorta explains the popularity of the marimba, saying "Everybody asks for the marimba - when are the marimbas going to come." Another popular style of marimba music is called marimba orquesta and it is an ensemble of marimba and other instruments, which allows musicians to perform a greater variety of music. Ernesto Schweikert, the founder and general manager of KGLA, the Spanish language radio and television stations in New Orleans, confirms that the marimba, though "conservative," remains one of the most popular instruments in Guatemala and that new marimba music continues to be produced, especially in the marimba orquesta style.
The Froggies sound is clearly tied to Latin American styles, however their connection to Louisiana becomes clear when they break into their rendition of the Hank Williams classic "Jambalaya," and other popular North American songs. Susseth explains their multi-layered sound. "We hear a lot," she says, "so you know we can have a little from everything. All kinds of music, English, Spanish. ... We hear a lot because that's how you get to influence your ear." Michelle adds that they also, "love music from the French Quarter - the Mardi Gras style." This love for their adopted home is clear in one of The Froggies' biggest hits so far, "Soca Nueva Orleans." The accompanying video interposes their unique sound with iconic New Orleans vistas, making the song a tribute not only to their love for the city but also to the growing Latin culture of New Orleans. Though the concept was born before Hurricane Katrina, the recording and video were released soon after the storm at a difficult time for the city. In Michelle and Susseth's words, "it brought up the spirits of a lot of people" and "everybody was fascinated with the song that was dedicated to New Orleans." The song is also a testament to Ovi-G as a composer as his lyrics capture the co-existence of two worlds within the immigrant experience. Ovi-G explains that he came up with the idea for the song as he was "walking in New Orleans, thinking about the carnival here, but then remembered a rhythm (from Guatemala.)" At that moment, "Soca Nueva Orleans" was born or, in the words of his son, "before it was Soca Guatemala but now it's Soca New Orleans." The Froggies' style, as well as their name, has evolved over three generations of family bands. The tradition began in Guatemala with Los Ranas, a marimba group of the 1940s and 1950s, whose members were from Ovi-G's parents' generation. The name of the original band was taken from the lighthearted nickname for the family, "Los Ranas," which means "the frogs" in Spanish. They were followed by El Grupo Rana in the 1980s, fronted by Ovi-G. The band was very popular in Guatemala and Central America with hits including "Socarengue," "Socaribe" and "Mi Secretaria I." Along with Ovi-G's trumpet playing, El Grupo Rana was known for its unique fusion of styles - a mix of marimba, soca, and tropical. El Grupo Rana was one of first bands to bring the Caribbean soca sound to more traditional Guatemalan music. Schweikert, who is the manager of the New Orleans area Spanish language radio station, calls Ovi-G "a genius in music" and describes how Ovi-G's combination of "marimba and a couple of the other instruments that are used by rock created the modern music" of Guatemala. According to Susseth, they were known for, "Having a style. Not a lot of Guatemalans are known for having soca and marimba." She points out that the group's music, "really did change a lot of Guatemala." In Louisiana, that musical tradition has been reborn in the grandchildren's generation. Beginning as the aptly named, Los Ranitas (the "little frogs" or "froggies") they matured with their father's guidance and their own dedication, to become Ovi-G and the Froggies. Originally, the Froggies did not plan to become a band. The family arrived in the United States in the 1990s, when the children were very young. Ovi-J first began playing with his father in church and at small gigs, while Michelle and Susseth also played occasionally at their church. After playing together a few times, though, they discovered their deep love of performing together and their father, Ovi-G, consented to the formation of the band. They stuck with their roots for the first few years and played only marimba, culture, and folklore. The first time that the Froggies officially performed together, they believed they were going to be background for some folklore dancers at a gathering sponsored by a Latin America cultural association. Susseth recalls, "We were really shy, this was our first time as a band, but Dad said, 'You all are gonna be background." Ovi-G chimes in, "because there were dancers, folklore dancers. We were nervous … but then we relaxed. Then when we started and everybody sat down to watch us we nearly froze!" Julio and César recall a similar tale about the first time they performed together. After playing around backstage, they suddenly found themselves performing in front of a full crowd at the largest auditorium in their town in Guatemala. When asked if they did well, César says, "Yes, I think we did," with a soft smile. They recently revisited this stage for a performance during a trip back to Guatemala. Julio explains, "Two years ago they invite us to go to our town and receive an award of the city. We felt real good … because we played the same theater where we performed when we were in kindergarten, but received an award from the hands of the government." When asked again about their earliest public performance, César reaches further back to a time when they played during, "a tradition in our town, Cosa Vita, walking in a procession from home to home with the statue of the Virgin." Julio gently adds, "that was the first time yes - very young, yes." Family History of Music Like Ovi-G and The Froggies, Julio and César come from a family tradition of music. When asked how he and his brother learned to play music, Julio explains, "I believe this is in the family because everybody plays an instrument and we belong to a family of musicians, artists. There is a lot of talent in the family." César specifically points to his older brothers as their teachers. He says they taught them their first chords, and from there they learned on their own. At one point the brothers played in a quartet together. Julio recalls how, "We were playing for fun in the living room and we could hear our mother all the way from the kitchen saying, 'Hey, that's the wrong chord.'" A veritable guitar virtuoso today, Julio had an uncertain start with the instrument. He tells the story with his usual sparkle: Now you don't believe me, but we were five brothers and one sister and everybody used to play the guitar in the home except me, because I was left-handed. Of course my mother always said, "Pick up the piano, pick up the marimba, something else"- but she saw me picking up the guitar and turning to the left side and, in time, I started playing the guitar upside down [or left-handed].
The members of The Froggies also first learned to play music from family members. You can hear a hint of sadness in his voice as Ovi-G speaks of his father, who was his teacher, "I was nine years old when he passed away." Ovi-G credits his father with teaching him, "all instruments, everything." Now his children's teacher, Ovi-G is humble about his influence and his children are the first to acknowledge that he did not pressure them into music. Ovi-G has a wise teaching philosophy. He says, "I believe everybody has a talent, everybody. The only thing is how to discover - what is your talent? You are a musician? Okay, let me see." For example, while the children have shown great talent in music, all agree that their beloved mother's talent is that of being their manager, asserting, "anywhere we go she can get us a gig." Over the years, members of both groups have had formal training as well, including time spent studying at NOCCA (New Orleans Center for Creative Arts) during high school for the younger generation of the Giron family.
Language is also an important part of culture and is often passed down from parents to children, like music or other traditions, especially among communities of immigration. Villacorta, an active member of the Guatemalan community, describes his own experiences working to pass along his Guatemalan heritage to his children, who grew up in Louisiana. "I have three children," he says, "and I try to teach them about Guatemala. I have a big piece of paper in my living room-my wife is from Guatemala, too, and that means in my house Spanish is the first language really-and on the sign it says 'No smoking and No English' and the three talk, speak Spanish perfectly." Alicia Behrhorst, another member of the New Orleans Guatemalan community, raised her children in the city as well. She is of Kaqchikel Maya heritage and that language, along with other Maya languages and Spanish, form a part of her unique cultural outlook. Though she teaches Kaqchikel and other languages at Tulane University, she did not find the opportunity to share the Kaqchikel language with her children. She says, "in truth, the children are at school and I work, it's a little difficult, no? But they have always spoken Spanish and know the indigenous culture." Despite these and other difficulties, Alicia asserts that "for me it's worth it, with all that has happened, for my children have a chance [to study]" and she also shares that her culture is always with her, or in her words "I live my culture, it has not changed.
Next - Connections with the Musical History of New Orleans / Community / Music and Community
Devon Robbie is an independent researcher in New Orleans. This article was prepared as part of the New Populations project in 2009. |
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marimba at their home in LaPlace, Louisiana. "Los Ranas" means "the little frogs" in Spanish. Photo: Devon Robbie." border="0"> 
