Annotations for Sounds: Background--music--mariachi Music

Mariachi music punctuated a final farewell for the man who defied state in church by proclaiming his Lady Queen of Angels Parish as a safe sanctuary for the undocumented and the homeless. César Chávez who inspired the rebel priest to come to the defense of the poor said during the service that Father Olivares was simply committed to the poor and the weak. Olivares' defiance of authority sometimes even tested sympathetic views as county supervisor, Gloria Molina, recalls.

We just know it as a celebration, as a fiesta. Aside from it being a festival event, it's an educational event because it is the time of the year that, for some reason, many of our people put our political agendas, our turf agendas aside, and realize that we are all one of a large majority of people in this hemisphere.

Northern New Mexico is almost another country, a place of great natural beauty where los llanos y las montañas, the plains and the mountains, have for many years kept communities isolated but also close-knit and friendly. Producer Deborah Begel recently moved to Northern New Mexico. She sent this report about one local custom.