A Heritage of Harmony : Latinos Use South American Music as Instrument to Build Cultural Pride

Jose Funes left his native El Salvador for the United States at 15, arriving lost and alone without his family.

Funes almost joined a gang just to belong to something. But five years later, he realizes he belongs to something much larger: a whole culture.

“I know I have Indian blood inside me. I feel part of that culture and every time I pick up an Indian flute or a drum--I feel that connection and I feel proud,” he said. “I know who I am.”

Funes, now 20, spends his Saturday mornings playing traditional South American music with about 25 other young Latinos. Clustered into a crowded classroom at Valley High School, the students gather to celebrate ancient art forms by playing delicately carved straw flutes, fur-covered drums and traditional guitars while learning about their heritage.

Luis Ruan, who created the class, says he grew tired of watching kids from his neighborhood start out with petty crimes and graduate to more serious offenses. So he started a nonprofit group called Beyond Limits, which offers young people artistic and athletic activities.

“You walk into any prison and you see a sea of dark faces,” said the former probation officer. “They see gangs as a way of life, something to belong to. We show them a whole culture they belong to.”

A year ago, Ruan enlisted the help of his friend Hernan Pinilla, a musician whose band Huayucaltia plays music based on ancient Andean rhythms, to teach a music class for his students and people in the neighborhood. Huayucaltia is an Aztec word meaning unity and brotherhood.

A whirlwind of energy, Pinilla darts around the classroom drawing on the chalkboard, conducting with his bare hands and glowing with approval as his pupils play. The music is a thread that connects him to his Colombian heritage, he said. “When we know our roots, we have a sense of identity,” he said. “But if you forget that, you can become lost. You lose your spirit.”

Next year, the students will travel to a Navajo reservation in Arizona to perform and attend powwows and other ceremonies that celebrate community. “To play this music, you must gather together. The flute is not played by someone alone in a room,” he said, fingering the colorful Colombian friendship bracelet on his arm. “You have to have a dialogue. One instrument speaks to another. Only if we communicate can we solve our problems.”

Funes, who is working as a waiter to raise money for college, hopes someday to become a probation officer. He said the kids he grew up with knew nothing of their heritage.

“It’s something you got to respect if you’re going to respect yourself and stay out of trouble,” he said, his eyes staring shyly at the ground as he spoke. “And it’s easy to get in trouble around here. Even if you’re not looking, they’ll [the gangs] come for you.”

Pinilla said he invites students of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. There is no fee for instruction and instruments are provided. Funding for the class comes from the California Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Raul Garcia Ortiz, 22, is an elementary school teacher who has looked for years for someone to teach him how to play the Andean flute. For him, the music class is a dream come true.

“This is a universal language. Listen to the music. It is for everyone,” said Ortiz, the flutes nearby sounding like a chorus of wind chimes.” You don’t have to speak Spanish, you just have to feel it.”