| 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 older musicians and bands 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 ten years.
His mastery of the Arpa Grande and guitar includes specializing in many traditional Mexican musical styles including mariachi. He additional skills in traditional Mexican musical lyrics, pronunciation, harmony, and voice arrangements combine to make him one of Washington’s finest musicians and vocalists. He has received five 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 in central Washington has been influential in the development of community between Mexican-Americans in the area. Music is often a part of social events, which continue customs and help strengthen the community by bringing those with a common culture and heritage together. 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 involves 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 to 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 a recipient of a 1996 Apprenticeship grant, Baldovinos taught Nora Baez to play la arpa grande.
Tony Mendoza (brother to Vitorino Mendoza), Baldovinos’s 1997 apprentice, was 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 also learned how to create bass and melody by coordinating his left and right hand movements. Tony Mendoza hopes to become an arpa grande master and pass on the art of Mexican folk music to pupils of his own.
As a recipient of a 2000 Apprenticeship grant, Baldovinos helped Maribel Alvarado to further develop her vocal talents in the traditional Mexican folk style. Maribel grew up in Central Washington surrounded by the musical talents of the local 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 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, wining first prize. Maribel Alvarado hopes to continue singing and to be recognized for her talents by the Mexican-American community.
Baldovinos received Washington State's highest artistic honor in 2001 as the recipient of a Governor's Heritage Award.
Most recently Baldovinos taught Maria Guadalupe Avila to play both la arpa grande and the guitar as part of his 2005 Apprenticeship grant. Maria’s training focused on strengthening her existing musical skills and learning to play mariachi style songs on the arpa grande and the guitar. Maria Guadalupe Avila is from Toppenish and has studied mariachi music through the Toppenish School District for eight years. | |||
