On Wednesday, December the 20th, SST Mexico has organised an event in Mexico City to present the SST project to the local practitioner’s community and to launch an open invitation to register their sound systems and sonidos to the Sonic Map. The event will take place at El RULE, a venue located in the historic center of the city. The event will showcase different experiences and forms of knowledge that the diverse range of speaker has acquired through personal experience and research. The meeting also aims to bring together sound system researchers, sonideros, and sound system operators.

A few years ago reggae sound systems started to pop up in Mexico City, adding up to the already established sonidero culture . The reggae sound system scene has seen different waves and trends in terms of music, technology and entertainment models, and after the initially strong London influence, it has become closer to a Jamaican standard.

On the other side, sonidos have recently been declared part of the cultural heritage of Mexico City. CDMX is the birthplace of sonidera culture, where family dynasties, independent projects or collectives have preserved the culture and spread out the music for more than five decades. From and to the neighborhoods, the sonideros; operators of their equipment and arduous collectors, have delighted the ears of several generations. The meeting invites you to reflect from different approaches on the work carried out from different perspectives.

To begin the discussion, there will be online participation from Brian D’Aquino, operator of Bababoom Hi Fi sound system (Italy), who will share part of his knowledge from musical research and practice. In addition, an interview recorded especially for the event by David Katz (UK), reggae, dub and dancehall writer and documentary filmmaker, will be presented. Invited speakers include:

• Yasodari Sánchez (NL,MEX) visual artist who has dedicated most of his research to the sound culture of the INDEPE neighborhood, in the metropolitan area of ​​Monterrey.
• Oscar Elizalde (Edo. of Mex.). Sonidero with a career spanning over 45 years in Mexico. Sonido Casanova is one of the current sonideros that maintains its active work in Mexico as well as across the Americas.
• Cesar Rebolledo (CDMX). Coordinator of SST Mexico, HE will share his research about sonideros trajectories in Mexico and New York.
• Linette Rivera (CDMX). Linguistics intern and part of SST Mexico, she is interested in reggae and sound system culture in Mexico City.

Following the conversation, there will be a sound system session, featuring:

• Enrique Urbina (CDMX). Public figure, radio presenter and cultural entrepreneur. Founder of Afrikan Blood sound system, which has paved the way for sound system sessions in public spaces in CDMX.
• Marisol Mendoza (CDMX). From the Duende sonidero dynasty, also known as “la Musa Mayor,  she is a cultural activist promoting sonnifera culture for over a decade.
• Oscar Elizalde (CDMX). Responsible for countless musical hits for the sonidero movement since 1978 in both Mexico and the US, he will jointhe dance celebrating its recent 45th anniversary in sound business.

Date: 20th of December, 2023
Hora: 2pm CDMX time
Lugar: El RULE (Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas 6, Centro Historico de la Ciudad de México)
Admission: Free

For more info please check this link.