By Juliana Aragón Fatula, PPAG Reviewer

From the first note of music I was “in”. The synthesizer, guitar, banjo, percussion instruments, mandolin, the powerful vocals; the combination was mystical, magical, melodic.  The songs ranged from indigenous chants, corridos, polkas, square dance toe tappers, and beautiful ballads that haunted the imagination with visions of massacre and mayhem.  The experience was at once sorrowful and next uplifting; a virtual roller coaster ride of emotions.  That was just the music.  The video brought images to life that explained the life of the early settlers living among the Native Americans and Spanish.  I became part of a visual, auditory history lesson and learned about the strength of the immigrants, the indigenous, and the explorers who made Pueblo the diverse community that exists today.  “The river sings this song…through the years of strife and tears they found a way to persevere.”  The rhythm was soothing and warm, the acoustics in the small room surrounded and enveloped the audience with the perfect volume and the close proximity to the musicians enabled me to see every expression and gesture of the singer as he embraced the character and became the spirit of the song. The video presentation ran flawlessly and the technology of Ipad, media projector and theatrical lighting made the visual aspect of the Song of Pueblo professional and very enjoyable.  The screen angled at just the right height so the audience could view the history unfold as the live music enhanced the experience.

Pueblo is a close community and the audience was filled to capacity with neighbors, relatives, and friends. It was a small, cozy room with a comfortable ambiance. The producer, Debra Espinoza opened the show with an announcement of plans for the Song of Pueblo to evolve and continue to grow in scope as funds become available.  She explained how donations will be used to improve the video aspect and include the addition of live performances on stage in silent vignettes to enhance the theatrical portion of the piece.   Also, a larger venue will increase attendance and add to the technical and audio abilities.  In other words, Song of Pueblo is a work of art that changes as Pueblo grows and reflects the pride, diversity and culture of our Southern Colorado heritage.

The musicians took the stage, then the overhead screen began the slide presentation of archived photos.  I could hear the composer, Daniel Valdez, in the lyrics.  He has a unique style of songwriting that is very discernable.  His voice was present in every song.  His gift for strong lyrics blended with creative notes displays his love of music, storytelling, and bringing history to life on the stage.  Some of the Songs of Pueblo included: Ballad of Cuerno Verde, (a Comanche leader), Manifest Destiny, Founders Fandango, Mississippi Saints, Corrido de Tierra Plata, Daddy on the Railroad, Colorado Gold, Nine Pound Hammer, Ludlow Field, Headlines, Union Avenue, They Came to Pueblo, Flood of 1921, Elm Street, and Song of Pueblo.  The lyrics and stories created a history lesson that taught the audience not just the facts but also the heartfelt sentiment of the struggles and sacrifices of the people of Pueblo.

The narrator, Tom Munch, spoke of the founding fathers adding there must have been a woman there too.  Her name was Terasita Sandoval and the video displayed an amazingly beautiful woman gracefully working in her adobe making tortillas, baking pan in the horno, cooking frijoles, chile, grinding corn and herbs in the molcajete.  “One day in spring I saw her walking.”  Johnny Watson was dramatic in his pauses and sang with heart and soul; while the narrator, Tom Munch’s voice was strong and clear. The Corrido de Tierra Plata was sung in Spanish with English subtitles overlaid on the video of special effects: characters fading like ghosts into the scene.  The story of Black Kettle and the Sand Creek Massacre was haunting and effectively moved the audience to gasps and tears.  The eerie sound effects, rain sticks, pow wow drum, the lyrics: “On a cold winter dawn… I saw children without their mothers; the blue coats killed them all. I hear the bullets fly, I see my people die.  I had no chance to say goodbye. In silence do I cry.  Now the wind sings its song and the death dream plays along and as long as I shall live I shall never forgive.” Johnny Watson wailed the last notes and gritos and gave the audience a taste of the power of his a vocal abilities. Intermission came leaving us with the strong lyrics and beautiful singing voice of Johnny Watson resounding in our ears and hearts.  His emotions evident in his body language portrayed the anguish of the senseless murder of women and children at Sand Creek.

Debra Espinosa took the microphone at intermission to give tribute to the photographers of the wonderful archive photos of Pueblo.  She expressed gratitude to these artists and was delighted to share their work with the public instead of wasting these images in storage.  She read a letter sent by a patron who expressed how much they wanted to be in attendance tonight and how supportive they were of Debra and her work.  Included was a five hundred dollar check.  This is how Song of Pueblo will grow and become the masterpiece it was intended to be.  Debra wants to bring Daniel Valdez, the composer, to Pueblo to participate in the production.

In the second act, we heard an Irish jig with banjo and yahoos in Daddy on the Railroad, and square dance toe tapping to happy square dance music in Colorado Gold.  Nine Pound Hammer sang, “Roll on buddy…goodnight trail ti yi yippi yippi yay” Photos blurred into images of wild horses running as musicians sang a cowboy ditty.  The history of the Pueblo steel mill, stories of immigrants, Mother Jones, a prominent American labor and community organizer;  Luis Tikas, the union leader; John D. Rockefeller,  and the Ludlow Massacre gave the audience the vision of the union strike of miners, the tent villages built for the scabs and militia, the ruins of the miners homes, the bones of loved ones massacred, the destruction and death of a community of immigrants trying to survive in a harsh economic time: stirring oral storytelling.

“Headlines” was about the growth of Pueblo and the video screen titles showed “1869 Pueblo doubles in one year.”  And “1874 Pueblo become capitol of territory.”  They Came to Pueblo was music without lyrics and showed the diverse communities of Pueblo: Chicano, Black, Irish, Italian, Slovak, Polish, Spanish…  Elm Street reminded the audience that Pueblo is the home of heroes and Congressional Medal of Honor winners. The pride of the men and women of Pueblo attests to the strength of a community rich in diversity and culture and one that works toward unity and cooperation.  The past has taught us that only through education do communities and families succeed.  This is one performance that benefits children from 1 to 100.  It is a family friendly production and the audience was as diverse in age as it was in ethnicity.  It was a celebration of life, pride, success, and beauty. Performances: Saturday June 18 at 7:00 pm, Wednesday July 20 at 7:00 pm, Saturday August 20 at 7:00 pm, Saturday September 17 at 7:00 pm, Venue: El Pueblo History Museum, 301 N. Union Ave, Pueblo, CO 81003.  Seating is limited, make your reservations now at 719.583.0453.