Composer’s Note:

“La esperanza de la gente” was commissioned by Access Contemporary Music for the Relevant Tones podcast in honor of Jovita Idr, a Mexican-American journalist, activist, and suffragist who lived in the first half of the 20th century and was featured in the current New York Times Overlooked obituary series. Jovita Idr predated the Chicano civil rights movement of the ’60s and ’70s by nearly half a century, bringing to attention issues that are important: education, equal rights, fair treatment of Mexican-Americans, and freedom of the press. Her advocacy work even caused a confrontation with the Texas Rangers, who sought to destroy the printing press of “El Progreso”, a newspaper for which she worked. On the first day of the encounter, she bravely stood in front of the offices, preventing the Texas Rangers from destroying the printing press, but the next day they succeeded. This did not stop her from continue advocating for equal rights for Mexican-Americans in Texas as she became a great role model for any who seek to advocate for justice.

“La esperanza de le la gente” gives several moods of reflection, celebration, alienation, sweetness, and a bit of vigor. I also took this opportunity to include an original Mexican tune without words, as I have been doing in previous works such as “Spunk”, “Currents”, and “Vctor Catarina!” (using text by Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, a 17th century Mexican nun and poet with a similar spirit to Jovita Idr).