Tending a Garden of Music

Elisa Perez Mesa mirrors her website: sedate, sophisticated, seductive and elegant. She's a shy, walking, talking, beautiful ballad. Yet, not so shy, because she’s passionate about sharing her family’s music.

Her father, Luis Perez Mesa, was a famous Sinaloa musician, as were all her uncles. They’re kind of like the Von Trapp family; everyone sang or played an instrument. Beginning in the 1920s, The Troubadours, aka Los Tres Aces, were a popular musical group, playing from Los Angeles to Cosala, in recording sessions, or at a the local radio station. Luis began his career as a composer, and lyrics and creative expression were vital to him and his musicians.

Elisa's “musical mantra” can be summed up by a quote from her father that's painted on one wall in the museum. In English, it explains why his Banda music was so melodic – very different than most of what you hear on the streets of Sinaloa today.

“In the civil and religious festivities, during weddings and ball games, we enjoy the metallic sounds of Banda music. It is public and it shares its music with everybody. Riveted by the strength of the music, driven by the drumbeats, Banda expresses our joys and sorrows. The music is like the earth, following us throughout this life and the other. It accompanies the dead into cemeteries and revels in the masks of Carnaval.”

Elisa was carried from La Cruz de Elota to Mazatlan when she was 42 days old. She adored her father’s music and at age six was singing at family fiestas. Her father encouraged her singing at home – but she was never to sing on the stage. Luis was all too familiar with the life of stage singers and that was not the life he wanted for his daughter. So she trained as a nurse and worked briefly in that field.

When Luis died in 1981, Elisa mourned his death but began honoring his memory by continuing his music on her stage of life.

“I’ve always wanted to sing, wherever I want” said Elisa. It was at this point that she launched her musical life singing at private events, where she admits “my father would have approved.” It was her compromise of “not being on stage.” Private events led to public stages in Mexico City, to LA and even to Canada. Elisa enjoys sharing her stage with other musicians such as the famous guitarists The Osuna Brothers and Bambinos. She has produced four CDs with more than a dozen different musical groups. Elisa wants to share the rich variety of Mexican music with her fans.

In April of 2009, Elisa and her husband, Hernando Hernadez, opened the Garden of Music, El Jardin de la Trova, to celebrate her life and her father’s music. Casa de Los Perez Mesa houses a café, a museum and a theatre, but most importantly, a large outdoor stage where Elisa performs on the last Saturday of every month.

For each production Elisa selects her music, her musicians and the songs. She’s launching the 2010 season on September 25 with a tango concert. Elisa is on her own stage, singing it her way.

Casa de los Perez Mesa is at Melchor Ocampo #510, Centro Historico. Info, reservations: (cell) 6699-81-7987, www.elisaperezmesa.com/ingles/gallery.html