Kickstarter

We are printing a series of books about children’s experience of Fandango in the US. This is a community practice where people get together to celebrate all aspects of life in a big party called a Fandango. The result of gathering and celebrating together creates a community feeling that what we call “convivencia”, living and doing life together.

We self-published this book in May of 2011 and printed 300 books. There are just a handful left and we are ready for our second print!  We are bringing this very old, very beautiful tradition to the youngest at heart in the form of this beautiful book.

The practice of the fandango has become part of some communities in the US and is growing as a social justice tool and a community building tool.

The practice comes from a 400 year old tradition in Veracruz, Mexico, where the people gather to celebrate all aspects of life at a fandango. The practice is a community event where there are no spectators, but the community participates in the party whether it be by dancing or playing music or in spoken word and sharing poetry. The music is called son jarocho. Son jarocho is used as a tool to pass down orally the history and her-story of the people. The poetry in the songs is alive and there are some words that have been sung as far back as people can remember and there are new verses written every day for this music.

Son jarocho and the practice of the fandango came to Seattle in the summer of 2009 by an incredible family, Quetzal y Martha y Sandino. They began teaching the music in community settings in order to play the music and to get to know other people.

Our family came to know Quetzal and Martha in this setting. Although they are accomplished recording musicians, they created a community and a spirit of convivencia because this music really lends itself to creating a welcoming space.  It  goes beyond the commercialization of music and puts it an approachable and unprivileged level. Meaning, someone like me, who is a busy mom, student, worker, etc., can learn this art and belong to this community because we all have something in common.

In this space I found that I could learn and grow and foster a sense of belonging to an extended community that has became my family.

This is what Fandango is all about in Seattle.

This is what Fandango is about to my little girl.

This is what The Girl and The Fandango book is all about.

One girl’s experience in her community of the sights, smells and feel of music and love.

Here's a link to a video about Seattle Fandango Project and the practice of the fandango:

http://www.jillfreidberg.com/seattle-fandango-project.html