Cenzontle/Mockingbird Songs of Empowerment. By Daniel García Ordaz
Cenzontle/Mockingbird Songs of Empowerment is a polythetic assortment of poetry, lyrics, and drama that serves as a polyglottic exhibition of empowerment through mimicry. Like a mockingbird, whom the Aztecs call "cenzontle" in their Nahuatl tongue, my writer's voice is polyvoiced. I include in this collection an eclectic variety of voices: personas, languages, forms, styles, and identities--often mixing them, in part to entertain and in part to challenge my boundaries as a writer, to stretch my vocal cords, so to speak, but also in part to challenge the lingering prejudice against such mestizaje--or meeting and mixing of cultures (and also voices)--and help convert our society into one that accepts itself as it is: polyglossic and stronger for it. As Maya Angelou reminded us, "We are more alike, my friends than we are unalike." The sooner we embrace that truth, the sooner we can all join in the song that is America--the song that includes blues and jazz and conjunto and zydeco and yodeling and rap and bluegrass twang and zapateadas.
Cenzontle/Mockingbird Songs of Empowerment is a polythetic assortment of poetry, lyrics, and drama that serves as a polyglottic exhibition of empowerment through mimicry. Like a mockingbird, whom the Aztecs call "cenzontle" in their Nahuatl tongue, my writer's voice is polyvoiced. I include in this collection an eclectic variety of voices: personas, languages, forms, styles, and identities--often mixing them, in part to entertain and in part to challenge my boundaries as a writer, to stretch my vocal cords, so to speak, but also in part to challenge the lingering prejudice against such mestizaje--or meeting and mixing of cultures (and also voices)--and help convert our society into one that accepts itself as it is: polyglossic and stronger for it. As Maya Angelou reminded us, "We are more alike, my friends than we are unalike." The sooner we embrace that truth, the sooner we can all join in the song that is America--the song that includes blues and jazz and conjunto and zydeco and yodeling and rap and bluegrass twang and zapateadas.
Cenzontle/Mockingbird Songs of Empowerment is a polythetic assortment of poetry, lyrics, and drama that serves as a polyglottic exhibition of empowerment through mimicry. Like a mockingbird, whom the Aztecs call "cenzontle" in their Nahuatl tongue, my writer's voice is polyvoiced. I include in this collection an eclectic variety of voices: personas, languages, forms, styles, and identities--often mixing them, in part to entertain and in part to challenge my boundaries as a writer, to stretch my vocal cords, so to speak, but also in part to challenge the lingering prejudice against such mestizaje--or meeting and mixing of cultures (and also voices)--and help convert our society into one that accepts itself as it is: polyglossic and stronger for it. As Maya Angelou reminded us, "We are more alike, my friends than we are unalike." The sooner we embrace that truth, the sooner we can all join in the song that is America--the song that includes blues and jazz and conjunto and zydeco and yodeling and rap and bluegrass twang and zapateadas.
Daniel García Ordaz a.k.a. The Poet Mariachi, a Texas-based teacher and writer from McAllen, is an emerging voice in Mexican American poetry. His work has been taught and written about by academics across the U.S. and abroad. García has an MFA in Creative Writing from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He is also a songwriter, former journalist, photographicationisticator, and word-maker-upper. García appears in the documentary, "ALTAR: Cruzando fronteras/Building bridges." He is the founder of the Rio Grande Valley Int'l. Poetry Festival. García served in the U.S. Navy as a Hospital Corpsman. His book titles include You Know What I'm Sayin'? and Centzontle/Mockingbird: Songs of Empowerment (and its YA version). He's presently at work on a children's poetry manuscript. García's work has appeared in several journals and anthologies..