We’ve been celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month!

National Hispanic Heritage Month is annually observed from September 15 to October 15 in the United States. Graphite is blessed with several composers from Mexico and many songs that explore the rich culture, traditions, and gifts to the world from folks of Hispanic origin.

Welcome to one of Graphite’s newest Composers!

Homar Sánchez Díaz was born in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. A biophysicist and physics teacher, this self-taught musician, conductor, and composer shares a deep interest in ethnic and pre-Hispanic rhythms, folk music from the different regions of Mexico, and new experimental and performative approaches of music. He pioneers Virtual Choirs and a cappella vocal ensembles, and won the Julián Carrillo Music Composition Prize in 2021. He directs the Vuela Alto choir and the male ensemble The Tones, and his arrangements and compositions have been performed by various ensembles in Mexico and around the world. Stay tuned for our special interview with Homar, to be published soon!

Shamán (The One Who Knows)

SATB div. a cappella choir with tenor solo

In “Shaman,” the choir represents powerful forces of nature, with blowing winds, smashing rocks, and torrential rains. Sustained ostinatos enable the choir to get into a fun groove and build momentum; “Shaman” feels like a boulder rolling down a hill. The dense textures are varied enough to allow daylight to shine through, resulting in contrast and color.

The immigrant experience in song

Border Lines
Mari Esabel Valverde
SATB divisi chorus & Guitar or Cello
Difficulty: 3
Inspired in meter and melody by Central American folk song, the guitar portrays the undulations of “el río” as the narrative unfolds, expressing a clear yearning for belonging.

 

Incertidumbre
Carlos Cordero
SAB & SATB div.a cappella
Difficulty: 3
“Incertidumbre” features an immigrant voice who dwells with missing her family, friends, music, pictures, cats. Uncertainty and longing resonate throughout the piece.

 

For and with the children

De Colores
arr. Natalia Romero Arbeláez
3-part mixed choir (opt. guitar)
Difficulty: 2
Many people know “De Colores” as a children’s song about the beauty of nature and color, but the song goes beyond that. A beloved piece of music in the Latinx community, it is perfect for performing with children or adults.

 

Dibujo Un Garabato (I Draw a Doodle)
Julio Morales
3-part or 2-part treble voices & Piano
Difficulty: 2
This piece reflects the innocence and imagination of childhood, where a simple act of drawing becomes a creative adventure full of possibilities. 

 

El Barquito de Papel (Little Paper Boat)
Jesús López Moreno
2-part voices & Piano
Difficulty: 1
The poetry, although written for children, has a profound message of universal values—one that will flourish in their lives as something positive for their intellectual and spiritual development.

 

Pastores
Carlos Cordero
SATB, optional cuatro, and Piano
Difficulty: 3
A gentle and beautiful setting for mixed voices, piano, and optional guitar, this Spanish-language enchants and delights. The message is one of a gentle Christmas lullaby for the Christ child.

 

Other inspired options

new song!
Lo Lograré (I Will Make It)
Julio Morales
SAB choir, Flute or French Horn, & Piano
Difficulty: 3
“Lo Lograré” radiates hope and perseverance, a song where “happiness emerges as an inevitable destiny.” The piano accompaniment, obligato instrument, and mixed voices are all beautifully and equally woven together. In places, the choir joins the instrument in a wordless chorus, further tightening the dialogue between each voice. The unusual combination of forces (SAB, piano, & horn/flute) provides many options for creative programming.

Al pie de un árbol
Traditional Cardenche song
Flexible: 3-part mixed, SSA or TTB choir, a cappella
Difficulty: 3
Cardenche singing is a genre of unaccompanied polyphonic singing from the Comarca Lagunera, a region in northern Mexico. The cardenche cactus has hooked barbs that make them very painful, as they rip apart the flesh when they are extracted. In the same way, cardenche songs are meant to be “ripped out” of your body.

Cantares
Mari Esabel Valverde
SSA chorus a cappella (div.)
Difficulty: 4
“Cantares” rejoices in the act of singing. This rousing, rhythmic work, sung a cappella in European Spanish, expresses yearning for a vibrant tomorrow. The voices shout out for new songs to come with brightness and restoration, and the verses arrive at the realization that hope is renewed in the undying heart.

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