Lillian Gorman (University of Arizona)
New Mexico Hispano music star Ernestine Romero (La Jovencita) was murdered by her estranged husband on July 11, 2019. Since then, her parents have worked to keep the singer’s memory alive and highlight Ernestine Romero’s priority of “continuing the tradition of New Mexico music” (Chacón, “Parents of slain singer 'crushed' by decision to nix headstone from memorial”). My presentation reexamines the “tradition of New Mexico music” through a decolonizing and Chicana feminist lens focused on the case study of Ernestine Romero’s musical career and the memory-making practices (Paredez, 2009) around the singer’s life.
Part of V2-03 Women, Violence, and New Mexican "Traditional" Music, Wednesday, October 11, 3:30 pm–5:30 pm