The Son Real Collective of the San Bernardino Community Service Center has been putting music to the fight of immigrants for 37 years in concerts, festivals, community events, marches, protests and acts of solidarity.

“We play sones jarochos, istmenos (from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec), son jaliscience, They are Huasteco, redovas, polkas, Andean music, and social content,” says Emilio Amaya Garcia, a musician and pro-immigrant activist who is the director of the San Bernardino Community Service Center.

But the surprising thing is that they play up to 20 instruments from different regions of Mexico and Latin America.

“I play the harp, the jarana, the vihuela, the quena, the zamponas, percussion instruments like the bongo, and the charango for Bolivian music. All of the members play different instruments.”

And he explains: “Son jarocho has a specific instrumentation; in the port area, it is played with a harp, small jaranas, and a jarocho requinto; Son Huasteco, from the northern part of Veracruz, Guanajuato, and Tamaulipas, is played with a jarana and a huapanguera quinta; Son Isthmeno uses a requinto and two guitars; Son Chontal (Oaxaca) It is played with a flute and ten or 20 drums of different sizes. The type of instrument depends on the region."

But the ones they use most are: jarocha harp, jaranas, requinto jarocho, violin, jarana huasteca, quinta huapanguera, vihuela, seventh guitar, charango, quena, zamponas, payas, tololoche, accordion, bajo sexto, bombo leguero, congas, timbales, bongos, among others.

Emilio says that the group was inspired by Los Folkloristas, who played multiple musical instruments that are not easily found like those of the Raramuri indigenous people of Chihuahua.

How they were born

"We have our origins in El Espacio Macondo, a place on 8th Street near Vermont in Los Angeles created by La Opinion journalists Jose Luis Sierra and Raymundo Reynoso. At that time, La Opinion had a cultural supplement of four very interesting pages that promoted alternative groups.”

It was in that space that musicians like Emilio met and created El Colectivo Son Real in March 1988.

“Beyond the musical aspect, we wanted to contribute to the preservation of our indigenous and mestizo culture and musical tradition. The lyrics of the songs always reflect immigrants and their reality.”

He says they started the group with brothers Marcelino and Miguel Martinez and Martin Jacobo from Jalisco, who currently resides in the state of Oregon.

“When we started, we called ourselves Hechos La Mocha because during the Mexican Revolution, the caboose (train car) that Emiliano Zapata traveled in was called Hecho la Mocha; and since we were always in a hurry, we gave it that name.”

That’s how they began performing music from all regions of Mexico.

“The type of sones we play depends on the occasion. In November, for example, we will participate in the Los Angeles jaraneros gathering; and there we bring the harps; on other occasions, the requinto jarocho is used; sometimes we are invited to the San Luis Potosi celebrations, and then we arrive with the Huasteca jarana.”

Educating with music

He explains that they like their performances to be educational; and whenever possible, they bring instruments from different regions.

“That gives an idea of ??the richness we have in Mexico, because it's not just mariachi, corridos, and norteno music. Mexican music is much broader. Each of Mexico's 32 states has its own musical tradition.”

Emilio explains that most of their performances are at community events, organizations, fundraisers, marches, and protests in support of the immigrant community.

“We try to make our music not only entertaining but also so that our people know, for example, their rights.”

But that approach doesn't prevent them from playing at weddings, quinceaneras, birthdays, and all kinds of celebrations.

“We've even played at divorces, and we play whatever music they ask for. If they want norteno music, we bring the accordion, the bajo sexto, and the tololoche (a four-stringed double bass); and sometimes, they ask us cumbias. That's the advantage of being a multi-instrumentalist group. We play everything.”

However, Emilio makes it clear that the Son Real Collective is a cultural and social project of the Community Services Center he runs in San Bernardino to support the struggle of the immigrant community.

“When we didn't have funds, we supported the services we provide through music, and we recorded and sold albums. When I started, I volunteered during the week, and on the weekends, I went out as a musician to pay my expenses.”

The Profits

Today, Emilio explains that the resources obtained from the group's performances and record sales are used to fund the legal, social, and educational services that our organization offers in the Inland Empire area.

Thus, he emphasizes that they are part of an effort to bring about change and achieve immigration reform.

"All musicians are immigrants; and there are some who are still undocumented and are struggling."

Thirty-seven years after creating the Son Real Collective of San Bernardino, Emilio confesses that his main satisfaction is sowing seeds and being an inspiration to new groups.

"We have trained children who are now accomplished musicians. We have managed to sow a legacy so that our musical tradition is not lost; and since that music is not sold, it stops being played."

Therefore, he maintains that they not only seek to maintain the musical traditions of Mexico and Latin America, but that the Collective Son Real is a form of resistance and rebellion.

Four decades of struggle

“I'm celebrating 40 years since I joined the fight for immigrants. I did it in 1985 with Amnesty when I was walking around with my little guitar in the sun.”

Emilio remembers that like many immigrants, he arrived to this country without documents.

“I'm from Orizaba, Mexico. I was 14 years old when I came. I was one of the first unaccompanied children. I slept in Olvera Square; and for a while in Pershing Square.”

The activist musician feels successful for being a founding member of the San Bernardino Community Service Center and the Colectivo Real del Sol.

“Many measure success in money, I measure it in terms of having a space to be a vehicle for social change.”

But above all, he feels proud that as parents and grandparents through of music, they instill traditions in their children and grandchildren.

“Sometimes the identity problems of our children and youth arise because we don’t take the time to instill in them the values ??and traditions of our culture.”

Who they are

The Son Real Collective is made up of Marcelino Martinez, Miguel Becerra, Emilio Amaya, Armando Castillo, Juan Reyes, Luis Chacon, Celestino Morales, Juan Copado, Martin Jacobo, David Quintero, Eddie Jara, Martin, Mauricio and Miguel Lizardi, Jose Tio Figueroa, Juan Figueroa, and Mireya Figueroa.

On September 19th, from 6 to 9 pm, the Real del Sol Collective will offer a “desconcierto” (as Emilio calls it) at the Mexican Consulate in San Bernardino, in an event open to the public to celebrate its 37 years of existence.

“Those who want to hire us for their parties or events,You can call us at 909-885-9500, 626-216-5219, or email us at emilio.a@sbcscinc.org