FROM SACRED TO SECULAR: MUSIC, IMMORTALITY, AND SHIFTING VALUES IN SAN PEDRO XICORAS, MEXICO By SALVADOR HERNANDEZ A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF MUSIC UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2017 1 © 2017 Salvador Hernandez 2 To my Parents 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The completion of this thesis would not have been possible had it not been for the incredible hospitality shown to me by the community of San Pedro Xicoras. I extend my deepest gratitude to the community, especially to the village’s governors during 2016 and 2017, for welcoming and assisting me with my research. Furthermore, I extend my thanks to the musicians that allowed me to record them in 2016, the danza coordinators who granted me free reign to enter the church during the danza in 2017, and my informants, for taking the time to personally assist me with my work. Next, I would like to thank my advisors at the University of Florida: Larry Crook, Paul Basler, and Welson Tremura, who also served on my thesis committee. Their instruction and guidance have been instrumental in helping me refine my ideas and develop the skills necessary to approach such a project over the years. I also extend this gratitude to the personnel at the University of Florida, whom have provided numerous resources and an unwavering willingness to provide assistance when asked. The same acknowledgement goes to the College of the Arts and the School of Music, especially to dean Lucinda Lavelli and chair Kevin Orr, who along with my advisors, granted me an assistantship that covered my tuition, along with work experience and a supplementary wage over the five semesters of my enrollment. I would like to thank my relatives in the state of Durango, who assisted me with my preparations for entering the field, and for transporting me to San Pedro Xicoras and back. Finally, I extend my sincerest gratitude to my parents, who have supported me throughout my time in academia, and in all of my endeavors. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. 4 LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... 7 GLOSSARY .................................................................................................................... 8 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 13 Proposal .................................................................................................................. 16 Methodology ........................................................................................................... 18 Defining Key Terms ................................................................................................ 21 Research Site ......................................................................................................... 22 Terror Management Theory (TMT) ......................................................................... 29 Defining Worldview ................................................................................................. 32 Symbols, Death-Denying Capacities, and Value .................................................... 34 Categorization of Worldviews Based on Death-denying Capacity .......................... 37 Worldviews that Offer Literal Immortality .......................................................... 39 Worldviews that Offer Symbolic Immortality ..................................................... 41 Attitudes Toward Worldviews ........................................................................... 43 Organization of the Thesis ...................................................................................... 43 2 THE COSTUMBRE AND XURAVÉT AS SACRED IDENTITY ............................... 48 Sacred Beliefs in San Pedro Xicoras ...................................................................... 49 The Costumbre Comunitario as Life-Extending and Death-denying ....................... 52 The Costumbre Linaje as Death-denying................................................................ 61 The Music of the Xuravét and Death Transcendence ............................................. 63 Decline of Sacred Tradition and Reflection ............................................................. 70 3 FOLK CATHOLICISM AND DANZA AS SACRED AND SECULAR IDENTITIES ... 72 Folk Catholicism in San Pedro Xicoras ................................................................... 76 Danza, Sacred Spaces, and Life Extension ............................................................ 84 Danza, Identity, and Stylistic Rate of Change ......................................................... 88 The Danza as Identity: The Mexicaneros of San Pedro Xicoras ............................. 95 Apparel ............................................................................................................. 95 Dance ............................................................................................................... 97 Music ................................................................................................................ 98 5 The Danza as Identity: The Tepehuan of Canoas .................................................. 99 Apparel ............................................................................................................. 99 Dance ............................................................................................................. 100 Music .............................................................................................................. 101 Reflection .............................................................................................................. 102 4 POPULAR MUSICS AS EXPRESSING SECULAR IDENTITIES ......................... 105 Popular Music, Identity, and Terror Management ................................................. 108 Música Norteña as Regional, Ethnic, and Transnational Identity .......................... 111 Drug Culture and Generational Identity................................................................. 117 Duranguense Music as State Identity ................................................................... 123 Reflection .............................................................................................................. 126 5 FURTHER DIRECTIONS AND CONCLUSION .................................................... 128 Exploring TMT and Music ..................................................................................... 130 The Xuravét and Corrido as Expressing Literal and Symbolic Immortality............ 134 Western Art Music as Worldview? ........................................................................ 135 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 139 APPENDIX: INTERVIEWS ....................................................................................... 141 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................... 213 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .......................................................................................... 220 6 LIST OF FIGURES Figure page 1-1 An overhead view of San Pedro Xicoras ............................................................ 23 1-2 Approximation of the Gran Nayar cultural zone .................................................. 29 2-1 The Deer during the Xuravét .............................................................................. 59 2-2 The Tahuitol........................................................................................................ 66 3-1 Church exterior in San Pedro Xicoras ................................................................ 75 3-2 The Xayákat in both of his masks. ...................................................................... 80 3-3 The Monarca, pictured in full attire, and the Malinche ........................................ 82 3-4 The Danza during the Procession of the Meat. .................................................. 85 3-5 A young Xicoras danzante in full attire ............................................................... 97 3-6 The Canoas danzantes .................................................................................... 100 4-1 People gathering for a community event at the governor’s hut ......................... 114 4-2 A conjunto assembled in San Pedro Xicoras .................................................... 117 4-3 Students at an elementary school dancing to duranguense music ................... 125 7 LIST OF EXAMPLES Example page 3-1 Transcription of a Xicoras danza melody ............................................................ 98 3-2 Transcription of the concluding Xicoras cadence ............................................... 99 3-3 Transcription of a Canoas danza melody ......................................................... 101 3-4 Transcription of the Canoas concluding cadence ............................................. 102 4-1 Transcription of Juan’s earliest adorno performed in “El Yoyo Lopez.” ............ 115 8 GLOSSARY Conservers of the Old (Conservo de Anciano): Term used by the villagers