Juumil Moots is a Yucatecan band that emerged with the ideal of defending the territory and the Maya language through music. For the past six years, its members have created melodies and lyrics that seek to revitalize the native culture of the Yucatan Peninsula while engaging the younger generations through concerts and workshops. The bassist of the group, Nicolás Alonso López, mentioned that one such workshop will take place on Thursday, June 15th, at 6:00 PM in the Merida community of Dzoyaxché.
How did this project come about?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we began looking for spaces to perform as a group because our common goal has always been to bring music to the Maya-speaking people. That’s when we came across this call from the Fondo para Creadores con Trayectoria (Fund for Established Artists) of the Directorate of Culture of the Merida City Council, and we decided to submit our project to bring the music from our repertoire to the communities of Merida.
Why the communities?
Precisely because of their proximity to the city, these communities are being engulfed by urban expansion, and this growth not only affects their environment but also their traditions, culture, and language.
What did this call allow you to do?
We will be performing two concerts of Maya-language music in two communities of Merida, namely Dzoyaxché and Dzununcán. Last week, we also conducted a workshop in Dzoyaxché for a group of girls and boys who composed music in the Maya language and built their own instruments using different plants from the region.
What does the concert repertoire include?
We have a repertoire of 10 original songs by Juumil Moots, which are part of the album Táan U Taal Kuxtal, and we have added three songs by Mercedes Sosa, León Gieco, and Piero as a Latin American tribute, as their lyrics address the theme of defending the territory.
Why do you think it’s important to preserve the Maya language?
The revitalization of the language is essential, especially for the communities that are being approached by the city, because urbanization brings with it the idea that the Maya language ceases to be functional. However, this only happens if we allow it. Indigenous languages do not naturally become non-functional.
Why use music as a tool?
Music is a very important link for human beings. Although language can be found in poetry, theater, and all artistic expressions, we chose music because it is what we love to do.
How long has Juumil Moots existed?
We celebrated our sixth anniversary as a group in November. Throughout this time, we have had the opportunity to perform at major festivals such as the Cervantino and we also toured the United States.
Who are the members of the group?
We are five musicians: Luis Cupul on percussion, Diego Torres on guitar, Yazmin Novelo on vocals, Carlos Canto on drums, and myself on bass.
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