The band Jadhex has played together for more than 15 years, releasing a CD entitled "El Viaje de Aztlán," contributing music to films, radio and TV, as well as playing regularly on Mexico's music festival circuit. Originally from Morelia, Michoacán, Jadhex performs on prehispanic instruments, recreating the soundscapes of ancient México.
Jadhex members Farid Solórzano, Waldemar Aguilar and Jared Jiménez met in art school. Each takes a different approach to his love of pre-Columbian instruments:
Flute made from clay in the shape of Quetzalcoatl *
Historian Solórzano is in the process of completing his thesis on the history of these archaeological artifacts at the University of Michoacán. Solórzano remarked, "Just playing these instruments is educational because their sounds awaken the curiosity of people attending our concerts. Also, playing instruments with timbres so different from what modern ears are used to creates a unique aesthetic experience."
Jadhex founder Aguilar amplified Solórzano's sentiments: "Playing these instruments is my happy place. I believe they offer something very intuitive for everyone, because they provide us with a connection to the past, a spiritual journey that's articulated through the rituals and language of music."
Teponaztli, a percussion instrument made from wood *
Aguilar's interest began as a child when he came across a cassette by Jorge Reyes, one of the pioneers of this genre of music. His desire to know more about prehispanic instruments led him to study music at the Escuela Popular de Bellas Artes, where he met Jiménez.
Jiménez meanwhile first encountered images of pre-Hispanic instruments in his Mexican music history classes and became fascinated by their beauty. "For me the importance lies in recreating the sounds that our ancestors heard in ancient México. By bringing them to our social and temporal context, by studying them and investigating them, we're continuing to give them value."
Jiménez, who's also a visual artist, revalorizes pre-Hispanic themes throughout his creative work. His version of tarot cards based on imagery from pre-Columbian codices is available at Aurora Books
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Ceramic wind instrument in the form of Tlaloc *
While Jiménez has lived in San Miguel de Allende for four years, bandmates Solórzano and Aguilar remain in Morelia Michoacán. Despite the distance, the Jadhex project continues its ongoing exploration of what Mexican music sounded like before the conquest. Their two upcoming shows here in San Miguel are excellent opportunities to experience their creativity.
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Friday August 9, 6pm, Nicolas Licea 7b, San Rafael, $250
Saturday August 10, 6:30pm, Paprika, $250
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Jared Jiménez, originally from Morelia, Michoacán, is a musician and visual artist who explores pre-Hispanic themes in both artistic practices. Jiménez has played with Jadhex Sonidos Prehispánicos since 2008, touring with them throughout Mexico. He moved to San Miguel de Allende four years ago. You can learn more about his projects on social media: Facebook, Instagram.
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Ellen Sharp is a writer and an IFS-informed therapeutic practitioner specializing in grief and loss. Prior to moving to San Miguel in 2020, she spent a decade developing ecotourism and forest conservation projects at a monarch butterfly sanctuary in rural State of Mexico. She's at work on a memoir about this experience. Sharp holds a PhD in cultural anthropology from UCLA. You can read more about her projects at www.ellensharp.com
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