DATES - April 13-20 2025
VENUE -Oaxaca City
LEADERS - Roxana Mendoza, Wilmia Verrier Quiñones, Yasbil Yanil Berenice Mendoza Huerta, Tom Landa, Karla Mundy
COST - $2100 CAD + $100 Registration Fee + GST (double occupancy)
-$2525 CAD + $100 Registration Fee + GST (single occupancy)
WHO - This trip is tailored for confident and skilled Treble Voice singers who are comfortable learning by ear and written music.
REGISTRATION WILL OPEN AUGUST 10th at 1:00 pm PST 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 Oaxaca City! This trip will be an amazing learning opportunity and an introduction into the rich cultural world of Oaxaca.
During our workshop we will stay together very close to the Zocalo in Hotel 
Posada del Centro. We will be renting out the entire small hotel and will be eating our breakfasts there as well. We have rented an extra airbnb close by in case we have more people wanting single rooms. Our accommodations are right in the heart of the historic city centre and within a short walking distance to markets and other attractions. With the place to ourselves, we can enjoy this beautiful courtyard and outdoor gathering areas!
We will be forming a choir and rehearsing throughout the week with Vilmia Querrer Quiñones, Roxana Mendoza and Karla Mundy. We will be working on Mexican choral music (Wilmia & Roxana) and a couple songs from other traditions (Karla) Sa'Nashi will be joining us for the full week and will be helping us form this choir. Oaxaca has an incredibly rich and diverse musical culture and below are some of the activities we have planned.
5-6 rehearsals with Wilmia, Roxana and Karla.- workshop on traditional Zapotec songs
- a workshop in "Tuna" music (traditional of parading music from 13th Century Spain) and participating in the wandering musical event.
- Oaxacan music history explorations with Yasbil in Teotitlán del Valley
- shared performance with Sa'Nashi and local Oaxacan choirs at the beautiful Etla
- host and participate in a Son Jarocho fandango
Outside of workshops, we will spend some time exploring the city and have these events planned for the group.
- visit to Monte Alban
- visit to Roxana & Yasbil's home village of Macuilxochitl for a traditional culinary experience. We will be introduced to traditional chocolate and mole recipes.
- attend a performance of Guelaguetza to experience regional dances of Oaxaca.
time off to explore markets, restaurants, cafe and the historic downtown of Oaxaca.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Cost will include full tuition, accommodations, transportation, all breakfasts and some of our other meals! Cost is based on double occupancy. There are some limited single rooms available for an extra cost of $425.
INSTRUCTORS
Roxana Mendoza Huerta
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"
WILMIA VERRIER QUIÑONES
Wilmia Verrier Quiñones is a Cuban choral director based in Mexico. She is known for her innovative programming and for her commitment to breaking with the traditional and static form of the choral groups she directs.
She has received several awards throughout her career as a singer and choir director. She has given workshops, conferences, master classes and courses in different countries.
Wilmia was a professor at the main conservatories and musical institutions in Havana. She now teaches Choral Conducting at the Music Department of the University of Guadalajara, Jalisco and is the director of their chamber choir and of the choirs of the Beckmann Foundation, in Mexico.
Wilmia is a member of the International Federation for World Choral Singing (IFCM) since 2022.
She is also the creator and artistic director of FICFE International Festival of Female Choirs in Latin America since 2018, together with her colleagues Fabiana Solana and Maria Eugenia “Loky” Travaglia. Wilmia currently directs Coro Femenina Mahayuel in Guadalajara
YASBIL YANIL BERENICE MENDOZA HUERTA
A graduate in linguistics, Yasbil graduated from the National School of Anthropology and History (ENAH) and master in Ethnomusicology, at the National Faculty of
Music (FAM) from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
She is the winner of the “Wigberto Jiménez Moreno” Award for the best thesis.
degree in linguistics 2010 from the National Institute of Anthropology and
History (INAH). She has studied as a violist at the Faculty of UNAM music and has performed in several traditional Mexican music ensembles and in symphony orchestras as a violist & violinist.
Yasbil has published various articles and books on music, anthropology and linguistics edited by the INAH, the UNAM, the Ministry of Public Education (SEP), the Colegio de Michoacán (COLMICH) and the Ministry of Culture of the City of
Mexico. She worked as head of the sociolinguistic research department
of the National Institute of Indigenous Languages (INALI). She currently works as
professor-researcher at the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
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 three albums under their belt and are currently touring their latest album!
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, Cuba and Mexico and has collaborated with Village Harmony to take groups to the Republic of Georgia, South Africa and Corsica . She is thrilled to be returning to Mexico to work with Roxana again!