Transformation of productive activities in rural areas. : New economy of son jarocho

Abstract

The transformation of the socioeconomic dynamics in El Hato, Santiago Tuxtla, Veracruz, led to the adoption of new activities, different and independent from the traditional ones in this rural environment. It has also favored protagonism and the emergence of new actors that have found their way in the wake of these changes. That said, I propose the idea that, as a result of the productive reorientation in the said locality, what I call the “new economy of son jarocho” has arisen, comprising a body of knowledge, production processes and exchange relationships, interwoven with the manufacture of objects relating to this musical tradition. Among the said objects are not only the recordings or the production of instruments, which, until the end of the seventies of the last century, were the activities that generated monetary income for those who participated in this field. This is how, nowadays, this musical practice has expanded beyond its traditional rural context of origin and is making headway into a broader market.