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Photograph courtesy Grupo Germinal
The Sunnyvale based Grupo Germinal specializes in playing an amalgamation of traditional Latin-American music and 'Nueva Cancion.' The recently released their first CD.
A Sunnyvale musical group promotes multiculturalism
Grupo Germinal combines new and old music sensibilities
By Amy Jenkins
Grupo Germinal is a Sunnyvale-based band specializing in traditional Latin American folklore and Nueva Canción music. Translated, "Nueva Canción" means the historical use of music as a form of social protest and critical analysis and as an agent of change.
Some of the seven group members call Sunnyvale home, and they practice and play most of their shows at Sunnyvale venues. The band has been playing at community events in Sunnyvale since 1994 and recently released their first CD, which features both original music and Latin American folklore from a variety of genres.
Grupo Germinal performs at community events at schools, libraries, community centers, union halls and local festivals--they played at the Sunnyvale Multicultural Festival on Sept. 22.
"We put our heart and soul into community events and love to play for a live audience," says Heather Bridger, vocalist and percussionist for the group.
Because the theme of the group is "art has no borders," the group includes English lyrics inside the CD cover in order to share music with everyone in the community.
"We feel this music has a rich tradition, and you don't have to speak Spanish to enjoy it," Bridger says.
The group's director, Victor Hugo Santos, says he conceived the idea of recording folk songs more than 30 years ago but didn't have the means to do it with poor conditions in Mexico where he lived. According to Santos, when the opportunity arose, Grupo Germinal spent a year putting the CD together in order to preserve traditional music that is not played on most commercial radio stations.
"I feel a lot of the songs would have been lost if we didn't record them, because they were on the verge of extinction," he says.
The group's repertoire includes music from a variety of Latin and South American regions--including Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia and the Andes. A wide variety of musical instruments are used in Grupo Germinal's arrangements, including guitars, charango, Venezuelan cuatro, flutes, violin, string bass, Cuban tres and several types of drums and percussion, such as the bombo legüero from Argentina and the indigenous Aztec teponaxtle.
Grupo Germinal is an offshoot of a grassroots Latino arts organization Victor and Leticia Santos started seven years ago, called La Peña Juchit Ireta. In Spanish, "peña" means people of the community coming together in an informal cultural gathering to share art, music and poetry.
This peña is dedicated to sharing Latin American culture in the United States and promoting local community artists. It is a nonprofit organization that has held gatherings in a variety of Sunnyvale arenas--including Columbia Middle School--and gave Grupo Germinal a venue to get started.
Members of the group say they are currently looking for a permanent location so culture can be spread through performances and classes, Bridger says. There have been obstacles to building a cultural center, such as finding space to rent in Sunnyvale and overcoming the language barrier between English-speaking city officials and Spanish speakers proposing the project, like Santos.
Santos says he hopes the dream of a cultural center will become a reality.
"The peña is an important alternative for young people to be exposed to heritage and culture," he says. "Especially for those with Hispanic decent who are not in touch with the culture of their parents and grandparents."
Grupo Germinal's CD launch performance is Nov. 16 at La Oferta Review, 1376 N. Fourth St., San Jose 95112. For more information about the band and performances, call 408.448.5842.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
