Lecture by Russell Rodriguez, Visiting Professor, UCLA

“Transnational Dialogues and Exchanges: Conviviendo en el Son”

Russell C. Rodríguez, in addition to being a visiting lecturer in the Department of Ethnomusicology at UCLA, teaches Dance and Ethnic Studies at San José City College. Currently, he is working on his manuscript Mariachi: Performing the Soundscape of Greater México, which will be published by the University Press of Mississippi. He received his doctorate in anthropology from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2006 and was a University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, Santa Barbara from 2007 to 2009.  Working in various capacities with the Smithsonian Institute, Rodríguez co-curated the 2004 Nuestra Música: Music in Latino Culture program for the Folklife and Cultural Heritage annual American Festival, and co-compiled, annotated, and produced the Smithsonian Folkway’s Recording compilation, Rolas de Aztlán: Songs of the Chicano Movement. In 2010, Rodríguez completed work as an assistant producer, composer, and musical director for a video documentary on Mexican visual artist and folklórico dance choreographer, Rafael Zamarripa, entitled, Danza Folklórica Escénica: El Sello Artístico de Rafael Zamarripa. He is a practicing musician, grounded in vibrant transnational music scenes, and is in constant dialogue with Chicana/o musicians throughout California, participating in recordings and musical collaborations in the Bay Area and Los Angeles with group members of Quetzal, Ozomatli, Dr. Loco and His Rockin’ Jalapeños, and La Colectiva.

Open to the public and free of charge

Parking in Lot 2 — $10 (Hilgard and Westholme)
Information: (310) 206-3033

Named after Nazir Ali Jairazbhoy, the founding chair of the Department of Ethnomusicology and Systematic Musicology, this colloquium series provides an opportunity for students, faculty, and visiting lecturers to share information about their research and discuss other issues important in the field. Please check the department website for details on lecturers.