I hope you will permit me just one more Noche de Rabanos (Night of the Radishes) post. The Totomoxtle Decorado category wouldn’t be complete without showing this year’s entry, “Los huehuentones de Huautla de Jiménez” by Moisés Ruíz Sosa, last year’s first prize winner, who just happens to be the brother of this year’s winner, Marco Antonio Ruíz Sosa.
Much of the work by Moisés, at least that I have seen, uses natural and dyed corn husks to recreate traditional dance scenes. This year’s inspiration came from the Mazateco Day of the Dead celebrations.
After the souls are released, their spirits are transformed into different forms personified by the Huehuentones (people of the navel — born from the center of the earth) who serve as a link between the departed and the living.
Beginning October 27, they roam the streets and visit families, house by house, to play and sing Mazatec themes of family, famine, traditions, customs, current events, politics, etc.
What captivates me most is the attention to detail and reverence for traditions by Moisés.
Learning their craft from their mother, Moisés and Marco are a couple of very talented brothers!