I’m Mateo, and I created Pulso de Barro with my partner, María, who was born and raised in Mexico City. I am first-generation born in the US, but my family is from Veracruz, Mexico. Pulso de Barro, or Pulse of Clay, is a musical and cultural project rooted in traditional son jarocho music from Veracruz. Our music shows and fandangos bridge African, Indigenous, and Spanish influences while creating space for new expression in the Hudson Valley and surrounding regions. A fandango is a communal gathering centered on music, dance, and poetry—part celebration, part ceremony—where everyone participates, keeping the rhythm alive and connecting us to the pulse of our ancestors.
We build the rhythm on the jarana, a small guitar rooted in communal labor and ancestral symbolism—its music carries the memory of the land, as if birds taught the cedar trees to sing, passing songs from nature to the hands of the people, every note a voice of earth and ancestry. We dance and tap on the tarima, a wooden platform that acts as an altar, sending prayers to the Earth with every movement. Once the pulse is established, we improvise with poetry and lyrics, blending original songs with traditional folkloric ones. We invite other musicians to join our gatherings, and anyone present is welcome to dance and sing along.
Pulso de Barro addresses cultural disconnection while creating spaces where people of all backgrounds can come together and share their presence. By blending immigrant and Indigenous traditions, we nurture spaces where these histories coexist, connect, and thrive—a distinct American way of cultural exchange and renewal. Each gathering is both celebration and ceremony, connecting voices and stories to one another and to the Earth. Today in the U.S., the fandango has become a shared space where people communicate beyond language or difference, forming bonds across communities. Through this shared practice, the community experiences belonging, joy, and strength from honoring multiple histories together.
We build the rhythm on the jarana, a small guitar rooted in communal labor and ancestral symbolism—its music carries the memory of the land, as if birds taught the cedar trees to sing, passing songs from nature to the hands of the people, every note a voice of earth and ancestry. We dance and tap on the tarima, a wooden platform that acts as an altar, sending prayers to the Earth with every movement. Once the pulse is established, we improvise with poetry and lyrics, blending original songs with traditional folkloric ones. We invite other musicians to join our gatherings, and anyone present is welcome to dance and sing along.
Pulso de Barro addresses cultural disconnection while creating spaces where people of all backgrounds can come together and share their presence. By blending immigrant and Indigenous traditions, we nurture spaces where these histories coexist, connect, and thrive—a distinct American way of cultural exchange and renewal. Each gathering is both celebration and ceremony, connecting voices and stories to one another and to the Earth. Today in the U.S., the fandango has become a shared space where people communicate beyond language or difference, forming bonds across communities. Through this shared practice, the community experiences belonging, joy, and strength from honoring multiple histories together.