Pastor Cajas sings the Canción Mixteca

Any Mexicans reading this or expats familiar with Mexican culture, get the Kleenex.

Now watch this.




¡Que lejos estoy del suelo donde he nacido!
inmensa nostalgia invade mi pensamiento;
y al verme tan solo y triste cual hoja al viento,
quisiera llorar, quisiera morir de sentimiento.

¡Oh tierra del sol!, suspiro por verte
ahora que lejos yo vivo sin luz, sin amor;
y al verme tan solo y triste cual hoja al viento,
quisiera llorar, quisiera morir de sentimiento.


That's Pastor Carlos Cajas, who currently serves the Mexico City congregation, singing the Canción Mixteca.

The composer is Jose Lopez Alavez, a native of the state of Oaxaca. He wrote the song in 1912. Since then, the Canción Mixteca has won numerous awards, gained recognition, and become one of Mexico's most treasured songs. You'll hear it at parties, get togethers, and homes around the country.

It's been described as an "achingly beautiful anthem of the lonely Mixtec farmworker" (Magagnini 2002). The songs tells how the Mixtec people, a minority group in the state of Oaxaca, long for their homeland when they're far away. While it is extremely popular in Oaxaca, it also resonates with any Mexican that is far from loved ones and aching for his tierra natal (homeland).

Spanish teachers, this song would be a great one to study with your class. The poetry in these verses is breath-taking, and it's relatively easy to find music for it on the Internet (besides you just saw a video of it!). Here's a good article about the life and works of Alavez.

Mexicans and non-Mexicans, leave a comment below to tell Pastor Cajas how much you like the song :) - and gracias, Pastor Cajas, for letting us share this.