Singing the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro: Sacred Choral Repertoires and Historical Imagination in ¡Música del Corazón!

Abstract

The 2024 edition of ¡Música del Corazón!, an annual event held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, since 2012 and organized by the John Donald Robb Musical Trust, marked a turning point in its history. Typically focused on contemporary traditional music from New Mexico, this edition was dedicated to sacred choral music from the written tradition and ritual dance that circulated along the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro during the Spanish colonial period (1598–1821). This shift in thematic focus had significant implications, contesting narratives of isolation and the perception of an absence of preserved musical sources in the region. This study examines the process of historical imagination that shaped the event’s programming, as well as the thematic, curatorial, and performative challenges that emerged. The article is divided into two parts. The first reviews the trajectory of ¡Música del Corazón! since its inception, including the profile of the performers and the repertoires presented. The second section details and justifies the configuration of the sacred music program linked to the Camino Real. By foregrounding the transmission of these repertoires along the route, this research helps bridge a historiographical gap and highlights New Mexico’s connections with broader Ibero-American music traditions. Furthermore, it underscores the potential of community events such as ¡Música del Corazón! to foster a deeper and more inclusive dialogue on the musical history of the U.S. Southwest in a global context.