We are grateful to WOMEX and its 7 Samurai for their impeccable line-up selection, giving us the chance to highlight a unique and powerful voice, that of Sara Curruchich. In just a few weeks, she will indeed showcase her blend of rock, folk, and traditional Mayan Kaqchikel music in Manchester at the Worldwide Music Expo, reflecting her deep-rooted bond with her heritage and her community’s enduring spirit of resistance.
Sara Curruchich stands as the first Indigenous Guatemalan artist to perform in Kaqchikel, a language of the Maya peoples from Guatemala and southern Mexico. A poet, singer, and songwriter, she skilfully blends rock, reggae, and traditional Mayan music, singing in both Kaqchikel and Spanish. Through her albums, Somos and Mujer Indígena, she addresses critical issues such as racism and patriarchal oppression. As an ambassador for the UN Women’s Fund for Gender Equality in Central America, Sara has received international recognition, touring North America and Europe, and participating in major festivals like SXSW.
This episode of Musical Road to WOMEX delves into her activism and unwavering dedication to her people and Indigenous cultures around the globe. In our Q&A, Sara Curruchich shares insights into her creative process and the importance of her music in preserving Kaqchikel culture. She explains how her art serves as a vehicle for Indigenous rights and cultural awareness. Additionally, she has put together a playlist that embodies the essence of Mayan Kaqchikel culture and showcase her music taste.
Keep reading to uncover the compelling stories told through her songs and her commitment to cultural transformation…
Could you briefly introduce your music to someone new at Womex and share the key influences and origins of your unique sound?
Soy Sara Curruchich, indígena Maya Kaqchikel de Guatemala, cantautora y compositora. Mi propuesta musical trae ritmos tradicionales con mucha fuerza, amor y resistencia como el Son de mi pueblo, al lado de diferentes instrumentos musicales de barro, que están combinados con diversos ritmos como el reggae, el rock o el pop. Es una propuesta de folk music o world music.
I am Sara Curruchich, a Maya Kaqchikel indigenous woman from Guatemala, singer-songwriter and composer. My musical offering brings traditional rhythms filled with strength, love, and resistance, like the Son from my people, alongside various clay instruments, blended with different genres such as reggae, rock, or pop. It’s a folk music or world music proposal.
Could you share a personal anecdote or experience that impacted your musical journey and the evolution of your sound?
Recuerdo con mucho amor diciembre del 2012, fue la primera vez que escuché los sones tradicionales que acompañaron una ceremonia maya, a la cual, también iba por primera vez. Vengo de un pueblo que también ha luchado ante la criminalización, estigmatización e incluso, satanización de su cosmovisión y su música, porque durante la invasión y colonización, también se intentó borrar las prácticas espirituales y formas sonoras de las poblaciones indígenas, así mismo, como que en la actualidad, también existe una estructura racista naturalizada que persistente en invisibilizar la música de los pueblos. Escuchar los sones con marimba, tambores, ocarinas (instrumentos de barro), y ver la alegría y la resistencia con la que los abuelos tocan, me hizo estar convencida de que yo también quería tocar sones, tocar esos instrumentos maravillosos e incluirlos en mi música, porque hacerlo, es también honrar la lucha, la música y la memoria de mi pueblo.
I remember December 2012 with great love; it was the first time I heard the traditional sones that accompanied a Mayan ceremony, which I was also attending for the first time. I come from a people that has also fought against the criminalisation, stigmatisation, and even demonisation of its worldview and its music. During the invasion and colonisation, there were attempts to erase the spiritual practices and soundscapes of indigenous peoples. Similarly, today, there is still a naturalised racist structure that persistently seeks to invisibilise the music of our peoples. Listening to the “sones” with marimba, drums, and ocarinas (clay instruments), and witnessing the joy and resilience with which the elders play, convinced me that I, too, wanted to play “sones”, to play those wonderful instruments and include them in my music. Because by doing so, I am also honouring the struggle, the music, and the memory of my people.
In a world full of diverse musical genres, styles, and traditions, how do you believe your music stands out and brings something fresh and exciting to the audience’s ears?
Mis canciones son historias y vivencias personales, las de mi pueblo, en principio creo que hay tantas vivencias similares en todo el mundo. Me gusta muchísimo hacer variaciones rítmicas, de pronto puede sonar una cumbia, luego un son más tradicional, canto también en Kaqchikel y me gusta mucho cuando las voces del público se unen con las nuestras, ya que a pesar de que hablemos idiomas distintos, la música sí permite tejernos. Los diversos instrumentos tradicionales, aunado a lo expresado anteriormente puede ser lo fresco, y lo que emociona a quien nos escucha.
My songs are personal stories and experiences, as well as those of my people. I believe that there are so many similar experiences around the world. I really enjoy making rhythmic variations—one moment, you might hear a cumbia, then a more traditional son. I also sing in Kaqchikel, and I love when the voices of the audience join ours, because even though we may speak different languages, music allows us to weave together. The various traditional instruments, combined with what I just mentioned, bring a freshness and excitement to those who listen to us.
As Womex is not only the Worldwide Music Expo but also a lively global music funfair, are there any showcases you’re looking forward to attending and enjoying or artists participating that you would like to meet during those five days?
Realmente es una pregunta difícil, cuando vi el anuncio de las y los artistas confirmados, lo primero que pensé es que me encantaría dividirme para escucharles a todos. Espero escuchar a muchas bandas, entre las que no quisiera perderme está: Votia, N’famady Kouyaté, Katarina Barruk, Les Mamans du Congo, Madalitso Band, realmente quisiera escucharles a todos!
This is truly a difficult question. When I saw the announcement of the confirmed artists, the first thing I thought was that I wish I could split myself in two to listen to all of them. I hope to catch many bands, and among those I definitely don’t want to miss are: Votia, N’famady Kouyaté, Katarina Barruk, Les Mamans du Congo, Madalitso Band—I really want to listen to them all!
This edition of Womex will take place in Manchester, a city with a vibrant cultural scene and rich music history. Are you particularly passionate about any act coming from the city and how has the city’s musical heritage influenced your work, if at all?
Tocar mi música en WOMEX ha sido un sueño desde que comencé mi carrera, esta alegría aunada a conocer Mánchester es inmensa, porque también será la primera vez que conoceré por allá, no puedo expresar lo increíblemente feliz y emocionada que estoy. Creo absolutamente que la música es tan generosa que nos acerca y nos vincula de una forma más sensible con la historia, el legado y las vivencias del lugar al que llegamos. Por supuesto que conocer otra cultura como la de Mánchester, también me permitirá conocer o traer en mis canciones no solo lo que pueda ver, vivir y sentir allá, sino traer la reflexión de las similitudes con la mía.
Playing my music at WOMEX has been a dream since I began my career. This joy, combined with the chance to visit Manchester, is immense, as it will also be my first time there. I can’t express how incredibly happy and excited I am. I firmly believe that music is so generous that it brings us closer and connects us in a more sensitive way with the history, the legacy, and the experiences of the places we visit. Of course, getting to know another culture like that of Manchester will also allow me to reflect in my songs not only what I see, live, and feel there, but also the similarities with my own culture.
Womex is a unique opportunity to share and showcase your music with new people and inform them about your upcoming projects. Could you reveal some of your plans for the future?
Estoy comenzando ya a trabajar en mi tercer disco, será una versión más íntima, pero siempre trayendo en cada canción instrumentos tradicionales. En cuanto a la lírica, será un tanto distinta, más cotidiana, enfocada completamente en la poesía y la memoria.
I’m already starting to work on my third album, which will have a more intimate feel, but will still feature traditional instruments in every song. As for the lyrics, they will be somewhat different—more everyday, entirely focused on poetry and memory.
If you had to draft an invitation card for our readers to join you at Womex and enjoy your showcase, what would you write in it?
Katampe-Vení- a este viaje musical proveniente del pueblo Kaqchikel, con pura fuerza de mujeres diversas, por la emancipación de nuestra alegría, la danza y las voces te esperan!
Katampe-Come- join this musical journey from the Kaqchikel people, powered by the pure strength of diverse women. For the emancipation of our joy, the dance and voices are waiting for you!
Join Sara Curruchich's musical journey at the Theatre Stage, Manchester Central Exchange Auditorium on Saturday, 26th October from 9.45PM
PLAYLIST: SARA CURRUCHICH X RHYTHM PASSPORT
- You can find all the previous episodes of Musical Road to Womex HERE -