Gerardo Ramírez is a musician, composer, and cultural advocate originally from San Juan Mixtepec, Oaxaca, and now based in Bakersfield, California. He is a founding member of Los Hijos de San Juan Mixtepec, a family-centered ensemble dedicated to performing and composing chilenas mixtecas—a regional musical form rooted in the Mixteca region of Oaxaca. Since forming the group in 2021 with his cousin and younger relatives, Gerardo has played a central role as bassist, lead vocalist, and cultural guide, creating original songs that celebrate community life, humor, and Indigenous identity.

Drawing on intergenerational musical knowledge passed down from their parents, Gerardo and his family perform chilenas in both Spanish and Mixteco Alto, their native language. Their performances—especially at festivals like the annual Festival de Chilenas in Madera—highlight the vibrancy of Oaxacan music in diaspora and the role of language in sustaining cultural memory. One of Gerardo’s most recognized compositions tells the story of a mischievous community figure who loves to dance and drink, showing how chilenas can serve as both celebration and storytelling.

Alongside his musical work, Gerardo holds a full-time job in the petroleum and transportation industries, balancing labor and artistry as many in his community do. He mentors his sons within the group, teaching them both musical instruments and the Mixteco language so they can understand the cultural significance behind the music they perform. His approach blends tradition and innovation, rooted in the belief that music is both a bond and a bridge—for family, community, and cultural continuity.

Gerardo sees music as a way to affirm identity, transmit values, and preserve their indigenous language. His ongoing message to young people, especially those of Oaxacan heritage in the San Joaquín Valley, is to begin learning and participating early: not only to keep the music alive, but to strengthen connection—to place, to language, and to each other.