La Muneca by Matt Polansky

Toward the end of the pandemic, when we were starting to return to our jobs but still wearing masks, I picked up a copy of Life and death in Milpa Alta by Luz Jimenez. Written in both Nahuatl and Spanish (I got an Nahuatl/English translation) her memoir talks about her experience growing up in an indigenous community, the horrors of the revolution, and surviving in Mexico City.

Luz Jiménez (1897–1965) was an indigenous Mexican model and Nahuatl-language storyteller and linguistic informant from Milpa Alta. In 1916 most of her male relatives were killed in a massacre by the Carrancistas. After which, she fled with most of the other villagers to Mexico City.

In the 1930s and 40s she served as a linguistic informant to document the Nahuatl language. She also worked as a model for artist Diego Rivera and in Frida Kahlo's classes.

As a fluent and insightful speaker of Nahuatl, she taught the language to artists during her modeling sessions. Doña Luz or Luciana, as she was affectionately called, was also a weaver, a storyteller and an intellectual in her own right.

In 1965, Jiménez was struck by a passing bus. She died several days later, on her 68th birthday. Several publications noted the passing of “Rivera’s model,” but she was largely abandoned by public memory shortly thereafter.

Much like I did with Abydos, I wanted to create a soundtrack to her memoir. Limited by space, I stuck to acoustic, nylon, and electric guitars. These pieces of music are without lyrics, as she already provided her story in her own native language. I encourage you to give "Life and Death in Milpa Alta" a read and I hope you enjoy this album.

Salud
- Matt

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