In mariachi, he chooses the guitarrón. In son jarocho, the jarana. At times, he sings. His favorite bolero is “Nunca Jamás,” by Tucson native Eduardo “Lalo” Guerrero, known as the “Father of Chicano Music.” He collects instruments, earned a doctorate in ethnomusicology and learned Spanish through Mexican music. Professor Estevan Azcona doesn’t just study music: he lives it.
“Discipline and practice are something I find enjoyable,” he says. “But most importantly, I can play with other musicians and share traditions.”
Whether he’s plucking a hefty six-string bass guitarrón or strumming an eight-string ukelele-looking jarana, Azcona sees music as a means for sharing borderlands heritage and storytelling in Spanish.
Credit: Nieves Montaño
Azcona is a University of Arizona scholar and trained musician. He will participate in Tucson’s Sounds of History event on April 19, where he will speak about — and perform — traditional Mexican music.
This year’s Sound of History event is titled “Música from Tucson and Beyond,” focusing on the history of Spanish-language music in Southern Arizona and across Latin America.
“I was invited to talk about music from different regions of México,” he says, pausing as he speaks in Spanish, choosing each word with care, his voice coming alive when he talks about Mexican music. “But I will also play with the Son Jarocho group.”
Credit: Nieves Montaño
Son jarocho folk music hails from the state of Veracruz in México’s Gulf Coast region, and dates back more than 200 years with West African, Indigenous and Spanish influences. In the 1950s, Mexican American singer Ritchie Valens recorded a rock ‘n’ roll version of “La Bamba,” carrying the historic jarocho tune to the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The UA Department of History organized the event, hosted at JoJo’s Tucson. Performers include Mariachi Las Aguilitas, Las Azaleas, El Surco and the Tucson Son Jarocho Collective. Speakers include Jennie Gubner, Tyina Steptoe and Azcona.
“It’s an event for the public. Not just for academics and students,” he says. “The idea is to share stories and experiences, not to stay within academic language.”
In a city like Tucson, where identities intertwine on both sides of the border, music emerges as a cultural marker. The presence of Spanish-language music is a constant in Southern Arizona, Azcona says.
This interview was edited for clarity and length.
Question: Why is it important to tell the stories behind songs?
Answer: We are in Tucson, in a border region between the United States and México. It’s an opportunity to think of our place as a transborder space of cultures, language, styles and artistic expressions. In the case of music, the focus of the event is Spanish-speaking traditions here in our region. It’s important not to forget that history and to think about the future we all share.
Q: As a scholar, what role has Spanish-language music played in shaping identity in places like Tucson?
A: We are talking about music in Spanish —there’s a lot of it. We are talking about Hispanic communities that are part of daily life in Tucson, in Arizona. Music is an expression that is present, part of the sounds of the day: on the radio, in different parts of the city and the region, in homes, neighborhoods and restaurants.
Q: Will different types of Spanish-language music be discussed?
A: I’ll focus on mariachi and son jarocho — there won’t be time for everything. But other traditions from Latin America will be discussed. The group El Surco will be there, playing music from South America. Jennie Gubner will talk about music from Argentina and Chile.
But here in Tucson, so close to México, Mexican traditions and the history of Mexicans in Arizona are central. That’s why there is so much Mexican music on the event’s agenda.
📍 Sounds of History: Música From Tucson and Beyond
🗓 Sunday, April 19, 2026
🕑 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
📌 JoJo’s Tucson
76 W. Washington St.
🎟 Free admission
Q: Which musical genre defines you culturally?
A: My family is from México, but I was born on this side, and so were my parents. In terms of musical traditions, I played for many years in a mariachi group. Now I play more in the son jarocho tradition. I have experience in both.
Q: What is your favorite song in Spanish?
A: It’s very difficult, he says with a laugh. I don’t know if there’s just one song among so many, because we have so many powerful genres. But since we are in Tucson, the place where Lalo Guerrero was born, I like the bolero “Nunca Jamás.”
Q: And in mariachi?
He laughs again before answering: I like sones — there are so many favorites — but I’ll say “Son de Pasacalle,” “Los Arrieros” or “El Pasajero.”
Q: What instruments do you play?
A: Guitarrón, guitar, different son jarocho instruments, but I’ve been collecting instruments for many years, there’s so many.
Q: How did you learn Spanish?
A: Music was an important space for me to practice Spanish, but it’s been many years since my mariachi days.
Q: In Southern Arizona, what do communities listen to the most?
A: We are in Tucson, the cradle of youth mariachi. Mariachi is very important. It has a long history here.
Q: Why should people attend “Música from Tucson and Beyond”?
A: Music is very important to our cultures, and in Tucson this event is an opportunity to learn more about Spanish-speaking communities, their music and particularly how being such a border community, we share with México the traditions of mariachi, son jarocho and more.
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