| Folk Arts - Master Artist - Salvador Baldovinos
Salvador Baldovinos grew up in Coalcoman in Michoacan State, a southwestern coastal state of Mexico, as one of fifteen children. He is a nationally-acclaimed artist who learned to play the “Arpa Grande” (big harp) and guitar by modeling his music after the sounds of bands and older musicians in his native Michoacan. Baldovinos moved to the United States in 1973, residing in California until moving to Yakima, Washington in 1978. He has led the Yakima-based group, Los Campesinos De Michoacan, for over twenty years.
His mastery of the Arpa Grande and guitar includes specializing in many traditional Mexican musical styles including mariachi. His additional skills in traditional Mexican music—including lyricization, pronunciation, harmony, and vocal arrangement—combine to make him one of Washington’s finest musicians and vocalists. He has received six WSAC Apprenticeship awards and in 1997 was acknowledged with a Folk Arts Fellowship award.
Such traditional music as Baldovinos plays and teaches, is an integral part of the Mexican-American community in Central Washington. His efforts to continue the art of Michoacan folk music has been influential in the development of the Mexican-American community in the area. Music is often a part of social events, and by bringing those with a heritage together, customs are continued and strengthened. For this reason, Baldovinos believes that the songs he writes and plays have important messages that reflect such values as respecting family bonds and honoring his people’s history.
As a recipient of a 1993 Apprenticeship grant, Baldovinos taught Vitorino Mendoza to play la Arpa Grande. While learning to play la Arpa Grande Vitorino focused on tuning the thirty-six strings of the harp, memorizing musical scales, and learning several musical compositions. Part of Vitorino’s training involved learning to create a bass line with his left hand while his right hand creates the melody patterns in the composition. Vitorino Mendoza hopes to have a band of his own, no doubt influenced by Baldovinos’s teachings.
When Baldovinos was awarded with an Apprenticeship grant in 1995 he taught Miguel Magana the basics of playing la Arpa Grande. At ten years old, Miguel was Salvador’s youngest apprentice. Miguel’s apprenticeship focused on tuning the harp and coordinating left and right hand movements to create both a bass and melody line. As the recipient of a 1996 Apprenticeship grant, Baldovinos taught Nora Baez to play la Arpa Grande. In 1997, Tony Mendoza (brother of Vitorino Mendoza) was also taught to play la Arpa Grande. Tony’s training, similar to Vitorino’s, focused on tuning the harp, musical scales, and several musical compositions. Tony hopes to become an Arpa Grande master and pass on Mexican folk music to pupils of his own.
As a recipient of a 2000 Apprenticeship grant, Baldovinos helped Maribel Alvarado to develop her vocal talents in the traditional Mexican folk style. Maribel grew up in Central Washington surrounded by the musical talents of the Mexican-American community. She began to perform and sing publicly at age five. Her work with Baldovinos has helped strengthen her intonation, broaden her repertoire, and expand her use of vocal harmonies. During Maribel’s apprenticeship she learned fifteen new songs. Maribel completed her yearlong apprenticeship by participating in the Washington State Fair Talent Contest where she won first prize. Maribel hopes to continue singing and to have her talents recognized by the Mexican-American community.
Baldovinos received Washington State's highest artistic honor in 2001 as the recipient of a Governor's Heritage Award.
In 2008 Salvador Baldovinos was featured in a short documentary film, part of our American Masterworks series highlighting the excellent arts and artists of Washington state. | |||
