DATES - January 2-10, 2024
VENUE -Mexico City - (San Miguel de Chapultepec)
LEADERS - Roxana Mendoza, Jose Galvan, Daniela Olmedo, Leika Mochan, Tom Landa, Karla Mundy
COST - $1900 CAD + $100 Registration Fee + GST
WHO - This trip is tailored for confident and skilled Treble Voice singers who are comfortable learning by ear and written music.
REGISTRATION IS OPEN and Applications will be reviewed and accepted based on voice part and experience level.
Join us for an exciting 8 day vocal and cultural intensive in Mexico City! This trip will be an amazing learning opportunity and an introduction into the rich musical world of Mexico. We will have workshops in Mexican choral music, Son Jarocho, Mariachi, folkloric styles from Michoacan, Zapateada dance, jazz & improv and we will collaborate with an ensemble, Sa'Nashi, that sings in Mexican indigenous languages. Together with Sa'Nashi we will put together a set of Mexican songs and music that we bring to perform in at least two concerts.
During our workshop we will stay together in a collection of airbnb homes in the beautiful San Miguel de Chapultepec neighbourhood. We will be in 4 homes that are all within walking distance of each other and each home will have it's own kitchen and breakfast fixings! San Miguel de Chapultepec is a beautiful neighbourhood nestled between the hip neighbourhoods 'La Roma' and 'La Condessa' and the vibrant and huge Chapultepec Park. Twice the size of Central Park, Chapultepec park is the world's largest park and not only offers endless walking trails - it is home to a zoo, a castle, boat rentals, restaurants, and nine museums - including the world famous Museum of Anthropology.
2 workshops with the well known Mexican choir director, Jose Galvan, founder and leader of one of Mexico's top a cappella ensemble 'Voz en Punto' and an accomplished arranger of Mexican folk music.- workshop with Leika Mochan - Mexican jazz and improv singer
- shared performance with Leika Mochan and her ensemble 'Los Billies' in Coyoacan
- 2 workshops with Daniela Olmedo - singer, composer and specialist in music from Michoacan
- workshops in Son Jarocho music
shared rehearsals with Sa'Nashi - learning some of their songs in Indigenous languages and workshopping some music that we bring with us.- workshop in Zapateada dance
- hosting a Fandango party, featuring Oaxacan musicians, a dance and food prepared by Sa'Nashi and us!
- shared performance with Sa'Nashi at the beautiful Ex-Hacienda de Santa Monica
Outside of workshops, we will spend some time exploring the city and have these events planned for the group.
- attend the Ballet Folklorico de Amalia Hernandez
- visit Coyoacan to experience the Frida Kahlo museum, the Coyoacan market and the charm of this old neighbourhood.
a night of dancing, shared meals out and a morning of learning how to prepare Oaxacan food with Roxana.- time to explore Chapultepec park and the Zocalo.
- visit to Xochimilco to explore the canals (remnants of the vast water system built by the Aztecs) on colourful gondola-like boats.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Cost will include full tuition, accommodations, transportation, all breakfasts and half of our other meals! Cost is based on double occupancy. There are some limited single rooms available for an extra cost of $300.
INSTRUCTORS
ROXANA MENDOZA-HUERTA is originally from Oaxaca, Mexico. She is the founder of "Fomento al Canto Coral México", an organization with 8 years of existence, in charge of investigating, disseminating and transmitting Mexican choral music nationally and internationally. She studied Music-musicology at the Lumière Lyon 2 University in France and at the same time began her studies in Choral Conducting at the National School of Music in Villeurbanne, France. She has a degree in Art Education from the Autonomous University of Querétaro, Mexico and Applicant to the master's degree in Research and Musical Creation in Traditional Arts. She has led the Choral Direction of various choral projects, such as "Choirs and Orchestras for the Prevention of Crime", "Children's and Youth Choirs of the Artistic Linkage Unit of UNAM", "Community Choirs and Orchestras "Voices in Movement" , Choirs and Orchestras of the New School, Virtual Choir of the Ministry of Culture, among others. She is currently the Director of the Sa'Nashi Female Ensemble and Director of the Children's Choir of the Children's Orchestra of the Federal Educational Authority of Mexico City .
Sa'Nashi Vocal Ensemble "Sa'Nashi" is an a cappella ensemble comprised of young women from Mexico City and directed, since its inception in 2012, by soprano Roxana Mendoza Huerta.
Sa'Nashi strives to create a safe, trusting and expressive space that provides it's singers the opportunity to explore their voices freely and harmoniously. At the same time, the singers are committed to working as a team to bring high quality, vivacious and fresh music of various genres to life. Most of all, the want to express and spread their love of singing!
The first time that Sa'Nashi was officially presented was on May 3, 2014 at the Orfeo Catalá in Mexico, sponsored by the Vocal Ensemble "Voz en Punto". Since then they have worked in the most representative 
stages of Mexico, such as the Multifloro Cultural Tlalpan, the Angélica Morales Hall of the Superior School of Music, the El Carmen Museum, the Diego Rivera Mural Museum, the National Museum of Art among many others; in addition to participation in radio and television programs of stations such as OPUS 94.5, Radio UNAM, Radio Educación and Channel 11.
They have also participated in various festivals in Mexico, such as the VIII International Festival of Chamber Choirs of the State of Mexico and internationally, in 2017, they had the opportunity to travel to Colombia within the 1st Meeting "Colombia - Mexico, A Song of Brotherhood"
JOSE GALVAN
His flexibility as an artist has broken down the barriers between the "classical" and the "popular" and has allowed him to present Voz en Punto as a guest of the greatest a cappella world figures such as Boby McFerrin and The King's Singers, as well as with great icons of traditional Mexican music such as the Marimba Nandayapa and the Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, or with classical institutions such as the Dresden Symphony and the Mercury Baroque Orchestra.
His original work as an arranger and conductor has been recognized and praised by the likes of Ward Swingle (Swigle Singers), Bob Chilcott and Anders Jalkeus (The Real Group), and his vocal arrangements and compositions are currently being published by the prestigious publisher Hal Leonard, being sung by choirs from all over the world, highlighting the interpretations of Vocal Essence and The King's Singers.
DANIELA OLMEDO
Daniela Olmedo is a singer, composer, sound artist, field recorder, music producer and performer of traditional Mexican music.
With studies in Ethnomusicology (FAM-UNAM) and Music and Artistic Technology (ENES-UNAM), she focuses her research and artistic work on the audio recording of voices, on the creation of acoustic speech analysis tools; as well as in the recording and record production of traditional music, preservation of oral materials, and information management of sound archives: Leandro Corona (traditional music from Michoacán) and the National Repository of Oral Materials (LANMO-UNAM).
She has linked her creative work and musical production to various educational and community projects for the prevention of violence among youth, and for the safeguarding and dissemination of the traditional arts of the Tierra Caliente region of Michoacan. As a composer, she is shown for her works in different Mexican and Latin American festivals of electroacoustic music and sound art: Visiones Sonoras, Casa del Lago Composers Days, Revueltas Sonoras, Sur Aural-Bolivia, La Biónica-Chile; and musicalized the audiovisual productions: "Ticho", animated short film by La Furia Estudios, official selection of the Cannes Court Métrage e Marché du Film catalog at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival; "The masked chilanga woman" short film by Jiráfrica Fábrica de cuentos México-Ecuador 2015; and "The film justifies the media" documentary by Colectivo Digna Rabia México-Colombia 2020, among others.
As a singer, she is part of Turulunegro, a vocal ensemble dedicated to the sacred musical repertoire of the New Spain viceroyalty; and as an interpreter of traditional music, she integrates the groups: ChanequeSon, a string ensemble of Terracalean music; and Ensamble Hueyapan, Mexican popular music.
LEIKA MOCHAN
Leika Mochan is singer and composer and is a pioneer of live looping in Mexico. She began her career at the INBA Higher School of Music, where she graduated with a specialty in singing and scatting. She was a FONCA (Young Creators 2010-2011) scholarship holder and has collaborated in several performing arts meetings with different theater, dance and circus groups.
She has performed with her different groups or as a soloist at festivals and forums inside and outside the country. She has taught at the Escuela Superior de Música, UNICACH in Chiapas, Tónica in Guadalajara and JazzUV in Veracruz, among other institutions. She has recorded more than 10 albums with her different musical projects: Muna Zul, Aguakates, Proyecto Gecko, Kaleidojismos. She is currently a member of the groups Las Billies, Cancionsitas (with Iraida Noriega and Pio Cineamano), Juan Pablo Villa's Coro Acardenchado (as director) and she participates as a guest in many other projects.
TRIP ORGANIZERS
TOM LANDA
For 30 years, Tom has been forging a career in the music industry with passion, creativity and a DIY attitude. In that time, he has been a JUNO award winner, a two-time West Coast Music Award recipient, Genie Award winner, singer-songwriter, composer, photographer, emcee, booking agency owner, a music manager, festival AD, promoter, panelist, band leader, musical director, label owner, producer and educator.
Tom is best known for his work with The Paperboys, who have been headlining festivals, theatres and performing arts centres, with their freewheeling blend of Roots, Celtic, Latin folk. That band is celebrating their 30th anniversary in 2023 with a new album and an anniversary tour.
Tom was born in Mexico City, to Mexican/Canadian parents, and moved to Canada in his teens. In 2006, he received a Canada Council Grant to study Son Jarocho (traditional Mexican folk music from Veracruz) in Xalapa, Mexico. Upon returning, he started writing and arranging music for a future ‘Latin Music’ project. In 2011, that project was born under the name Locarno. Since then, Locarno has headlined several festivals and brought joy to folks in Canada, the US, Mexico and across Europe. They have two albums under their belt and are currently working on a third album due in 2023.
KARLA MUNDY
Karla Mundy is a vibrant, soulful and diverse vocalist, pianist, arranger and choir leader. Karla directs three community choirs in Vancouver and Vancouver Island - Rhythm 'n' Roots, City Soul Choir and Island Soul Choir. She leads harmony singing workshops throughout BC and organizes many singing camps, workshops and singing study trips abroad. Karla is a founding member of the No Sh!t Shirleys, TriVo, Cleia, Plough, Tanglewood Trio and Big Whoop! Karla is passionate about teaching harmony singing, getting the music off the page and digging deep into new musical territory.
In 2014, Karla realized her dream of creating an intensive singer's camp on the West Coast. After years of attending music camps with strong instrumental programs, she was convinced that there was a need and a desire for a retreat focused on singing where students could explore their voices and different styles with a faculty of amazing vocalists. SongRoots Summer Camp was born that summer and 2023 marks the 10th time singers have gathered on Gambier Island for a glorious week of singing exploration, artistic renewal and community celebration.
In 2017, Karla began leading SongRoutes trips and has now organized trips to North Carolina, New Orleans, the Republic of Georgia, South Africa and Cuba. She is thrilled to be heading to Mexico for the first ever SongRoutes Mexico trip!