SAK TZEVUL: Indigenous Maya Rock

March 28th, 2024 at 7:00pm | Palace Theatre

Sak Tzevul was founded by the three Martinez brothers, Damian Martinez, guitarist and composer, Enrique Martinez, drummer and arranger, and Paco Martinez, guitarist. The band was founded within the municipal headquarters of the Tzotzil (or Tsotsil) town of Zinacantan, Chiapas Mexico. They are the creators of the Batzi-Rock concept, or rock of indigenous peoples. From its inception and founding in 1996, the Tzotzil rock group was influenced by the popular music of the Marimba, a musical tradition often associated with African, Latin American, and indigenous musical traditions. The Martinez family has practiced Marimba music for three generations. They were also influenced by the traditional music of the harp, guitar, and violin, as well as the drum and flute, which are characteristic of the cultural and historical heritage of the Maya people of Zinacantan.

Indigenous identity and culture from Latin America are becoming increasingly visible in international works of art and media, with the Maya specifically highlighted as a large and thriving community. However, the international community struggles to understand the nature of indigenous identity and how tradition is negotiated within an ever-changing world. One of the main challenges is that indigenous culture is often portrayed as an artifact of the past, and these depictions provide no space where an indigenous future can be imagined. Despite a well-meaning desire to portray indigenous people in more agentive roles, film and media continue to struggle to break free from the “living artifact” trope that equates authentic identity with ancient cultures. This is largely due to the fact that very few indigenous voices are in positions of authority when it comes to the final decision-making process.

The Tzotzil Maya rock band of Sak Tzevul have long subverted these stereotypes and limitations as both the producers and practitioners of “Batzi”, indigenous Maya rock. In the mid 1990’s, Sak Tzevul initiated a new musical movement that combined ancestral heritage with modern and classical rock and roll. Sak Tzeveul developed the concept of “traditional-modernity”, a perspective that treats ancestral heritage and modernism as intersecting concepts. This artistic movement is a direct response to a hundred years of nationalistic narratives that position indigenous culture and modernist goals (advancements in economy and technology) as diametrically opposed themes.

Indigenous communities in Southern Mexico instead treat increased access to global economic systems and the protection of cultural heritage as complementary goals. The hybridity of Sak Tzevul’s music is not only meant to serve as a celebration of traditions that are deeply rooted in the past, but it also provided an avenue for creativity and innovation. The success of Sak Tzevul demonstrates that tradition and progress are not paradoxical concepts, and that indigenous voices have a stake in the global political economies. Today, a number of indigenous rock and hip-hop musicians like Mare Advertencia Lirikia, ADN Maya Colectivo, and Pat Boy can attribute their success in part to Sak Tzeveul, the forerunners of this artistic movement.

YouTube Music Videos and Spotify

Sak Tzevul 25 años, Bolomchon. - YouTube

Sak Tzevul Indigenous Rock from Mayan Highlands of Chiapas Mexico (clip oficial 2014) - YouTube

Sak Tzevul Bolomchon - YouTube

https://open.spotify.com/album/41RB593WlNaIhnILRWWxRG?si=fmZGDhYeTiCyOVfzY7YV