by Maria Staiano-Daniels
Daily Lobo
When some people hear the word opera they envision something set in a far-off country and sung in Italian.
This is not so for "Little Jo," showing at the National Hispanic Cultural Center this weekend.
"Little Jo," sung in English and Spanish, deals with village life in a northern New Mexico farming town in the 1920s. The story tracks the life of Little Jo, whose father had to flee the town when Little Jo was just a baby. Later his mother dies, and he must live with his aunt and uncle, who treat him badly.
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"Little Jo" is a showcase of New Mexican culture, according to director David Chavez and the performers.
Heather Alvarez, who plays Little Jo's mother, Inocencia, said the opera's composer, J.D. Robb, was one of the foremost collectors of New Mexican folk songs. She said Robb incorporated these songs into the opera.
"He's really tried to stay with the native musical language of the Southwest," she said.
Chavez said the opera is unique for its blend of contemporary and folk music.
"It's very atonal and then all of a sudden goes into folk songs in Spanish," he said.
According to Chavez, this unusual combination makes the opera more musically challenging.
Chavez said "Little Jo" also focused on the religious elements of New Mexican culture. He was especially interested in the tension between the strict rules of Catholicism and what the characters do, which is not always virtuous.
"You have that duality there and I've played that up," he said.
The unique religious culture of northern New Mexico is an important factor in "Little Jo." Sam Handley plays Cornelio, a penitente. Penitentes helped people in small towns by leading them in prayer while the priests were away.
According to Handley, Cornelio serves as the conscience of the village, though he has his flaws.
"He likes to party," Handley said.
Another important figure in the village, and in New Mexican culture, is the curandera. Like a Penitente takes the place of a priest, a curandera takes the place of a doctor, healing the sick and delivering babies.
Nelly-Mar°a Kirmer, who plays Te¢fila, the village curandera, said she identified with her character.
"This is very dear to my heart, because in Panama my great-grandmother on my mother's side was a curandera," she said.
"Little Jo" uses a lot of local talent. Lina Ramos, who plays Little Jo's aunt Luz, graduated from Manzano High School and got a masters degree in music at UNM. Ramos enjoys singing in a performance about her home state.
"It's so cool that I get to sing about something really near and dear to me," she said.
Ramos hopes the audience will appreciate what a rich culture New Mexico has.
Kevin Chavez and Trey Hernandez, who play Little Jo and his cousin Vidal, are also locals. Chavez attends St. Charles Borromeo, and Hernandez is a student at Bosque Prep. This is the first major performance for both boys, and they are enjoying the experience.
"It's just a really great show," Hernandez said.
