Mexico City Congress to Evaluate Trios and Rondallas for Intangible Heritage Status
Mexico City, August 4 – Deputy Elizabeth Mateos Hernández has submitted a proposal to the Mexico City Congress to formally recognize trios and rondallas as intangible cultural heritage of the metropolis. The initiative, presented in a Point of Agreement to the Permanent Commission, calls for the capital’s Secretariat of Culture to conduct an evaluation through its Interinstitutional Commission for Cultural, Natural, and Biocultural Heritage.
The proposal, announced by the Permanent Commission’s Board of Directors on July 29, underscores the significant presence of trios and rondallas in the cultural and artistic life of Mexico City. Mateos Hernández, a legislator from MORENA, argues that these musical ensembles play a crucial social role beyond their artistic merit, fostering community engagement, promoting the appropriation of public spaces, and ensuring inclusive access to culture.
Protecting and Promoting Musical Traditions
“The evaluation for the recognition of trios and rondallas as intangible cultural heritage of Mexico City is part of a vision to protect, promote, and value those expressions that have consistently accompanied the city’s cultural history and continue to have an active and significant presence in the social and community life of its inhabitants,” the deputy stated in her document.
Mexico City has historically been a pivotal center for the production, dissemination, and preservation of popular musical expressions in Mexico. Its plural and multicultural character has allowed artistic manifestations, particularly those transmitted orally, collectively, and communally-such as trios and rondallas-to develop and consolidate as part of the city’s living heritage.
A Hub for Musicians and Romantic Genres
Since the mid-20th century, Mexico City became a meeting point for musicians from various regions of Mexico, enabling them to professionalize their artistic activities, share repertoires, and strengthen traditional musical genres. Trios and rondallas gained a relevant presence in urban cultural life, closely linking with serenades, neighborhood festivities, family celebrations, public spaces, cultural centers, and emblematic venues throughout the city.
Over the decades, Mexico City has nurtured numerous trio groups that achieved national and international recognition. Many of these groups maintained a direct connection with the capital as a place of residence, artistic training, or dissemination of their work. Among the most representative expressions are trios dedicated to bolero and romantic songs, a genre that found one of its main stages of consolidation in the city.
“Groups such as Los Panchos, Los Tres Ases, Los Tecolines, and Los Dandys, among others, maintained a close link with Mexico City, where they developed a significant part of their artistic career and contributed to positioning the capital as a musical reference internationally,” Mateos Hernández highlighted.
Rondallas: Fostering Identity and Community
Mateos Hernández also emphasized the constant and significant presence of rondallas in the capital’s cultural life, particularly within educational, community, and university settings. Various higher education institutions, including UNAM, IPN, and other public and private universities, have promoted the formation of student rondallas. These groups not only encourage musical practice but also strengthen values of identity, coexistence, and cultural expression among young people, serving as a breeding ground for musicians and cultural promoters, and ensuring the generational continuity of this tradition.
Despite their widespread presence, the congresswoman noted the absence of an official, updated public registry or census specifying the exact number of trios and rondallas. Numerous active groups, ranging from professional to community-based or semi-professional, perform at events in mayoral offices, cultural centers, public squares, festivals, civic presentations, and traditional celebrations.
The Point of Agreement from Deputy Elizabeth Mateos Hernández has been referred by the Board of Directors to the Commission on Cultural Rights for analysis and dictation.
Source: Mexico City Congress
