Music and convivencia with Los Cojolites and Seattle Fandango Project

Over the past few years, I’ve had the good fortune of documenting and being to able to do some deep hanging out with the Seattle Fandango Project.

The Seattle Fandango Project is dedicated to community building through participatory music and dance. SFP takes as its original model the fandango celebration of Veracruz, Mexico, in which music, singing, and dancing are used to generate a spirit of convivencia — living/being together — building communication and trust.

After much insistence from members of SFP to put down the camera and pick up the jarana, this year, I did. And I am here to attest that if I can learn to play and participate then the field is open to anyone!

I couldn’t refrain from picking up the camera when Los Cojolites made their first trip to Seattle. This inspiring group from Jaltipan, Veracruz, Mexico conducted a series of workshops and performed at the historic Washington Hall. A night of convivencia with the Seattle Fandango Project followed.

Here’s the video:

Scott Macklin

Scott Macklin is the Associate Director of the Master of Communication in Digital Media (MCDM) program at the UW. Scott seeks to create a rich infrastructure that supports innovation and collaboration through participatory media and community engagement. Scott was the curator of TEDx Seattle and Chair of the Seattle Next 50 Story Runs through It community film celebration.  He also serves on the Advisory Board of the Head Start Center for Inclusion and on the Board of the South African NGO Saving our Schools and Community (SOSAC). Scott is an award winning author, filmmaker and the Executive Producer the Four Peaks TV program - a monthly series that features interviews with leading media and technology visionaries. Scott uses social media as a powerful tool for learning and building meaningful relationships that create opportunities to engage in acts of social justice. You can get a glimpse of some of his work on vimeo.