Canciones del San Joaquín is a musical collection celebrating the depth and diversity of the San Joaquín Valley through the voices of its own artists. As part of the Sounds of California: San Joaquín Valley initiative, this collection highlights eleven newly commissioned works created by artists rooted in the Valley’s cultural and musical traditions. The composers represent a wide range of regional and transnational genres, including Son Jarocho, Arpa Grande, Norteño, Mariachi, Latin Jazz, Latin Rock, Hip-Hop/Mixteco Rap, Ranchera Mexicana, and Nuevo Canto.
Many of the participating artists were interviewed during the early fieldwork phase of Sounds of California: San Joaquín Valley. This collection now honors them not only as tradition bearers, but as composers and cultural innovators shaping the future of the region’s musical landscape.
These new works will premiere in concert on June 7, 2025, at the Fresno Memorial Auditorium, with musical direction by Grammy-winning artist Quetzal Flores, to be recorded for public release. Together, they form a living archive of song and testimony—an expression of Greater Mexico in the San Joaquín Valley, voiced by those who live its complexity every day.
Thumbnail: Promotional imagery for the Canciones del San Joaquín concert (Credit: Design by Humberto Howard).