Maya Pop Culture
Admit it when you first hear the phrase "Maya culture" you probably think of a stone pyramid, like Chichen Itza. Or maybe a stone calendar. Or if you're a Mel Gibson fan, Apocalypto. And while all of these are a part of Maya heritage (ok maybe not Apocalypto, sorry Mel) they're all a little dated. Really these are all elements of the ancient Maya culture rather than modern Maya way of life. It's kind of like going to Sweden and looking for Vikings - sure you'll find their history there but you'll miss out on the vibrant culture of contemporary Scandinavia. Trust us there's lots of cool techno music.
What is modern Maya culture then? It's a lot of things! Geographically it's Mexican - and Guatemalan, Belizean, Honduran, and El Salvadoran. In Mexico it's on the peninsula and further west in Chiapas and Tabasco. And we're right in the heart of it here in Felipe Carrillo Puerto. Beyond the geography it is a language family with an estimated 6 million native speaking members using 29 different languages and dialects. The dialect most often spoken here is Yucatec Maya, which has an estimated 800,000 speakers, making it one of the largest groups. And of course beyond the geography and the language there are the people actually living the culture. While the past few hundred years have seen invasion, migration, conversion, war, and all sorts of other changes many Maya people still live in the same area as their ancestors and have carried on many of the same traditions.
But it's not just a question of replicating the past. There's also a lot of great contemporary cultural products coming out of the Zona Maya - art, music, movies, you name it! One of our favorite examples of this mix is
the Maya rapper. While the language he's using is ancient and local the beats backing the music reflect the global culture of hip hop and wouldn't sound out of place in the latest Jay-Z album. Even cooler he's from nearby to Felipe Carrillo Puerto and has visited the Na'atik! Be sure to check out his
channel where you'll see him but also lots of other contemporary musicians that he's collaborated on a wide range of Maya language music.
And if you really get hooked on people making music in Maya you should check out a show called La voz del Gran Pueblo on our local radio station. There you'll here local music and news in both Spanish and Maya. You can even find it online
.
Switching from audio there are also some great projects promoting Maya language and culture in video. For example there's a cartoon called "La Gruta del Alux" that is in Spanish and Maya and produced entirely by Mexican staff. The main character is an "Alux," which is kind of like a tricky elf or guardian spirit in Maya legends. In the show he goes on adventures from other characters from Maya mythology.
Another cool set of video projects is coming out of Cine Janaal studio in Merida. They make videos on Maya culture, especially food, in the peninsula. Their video,
, is one of our favorites and tells the story of Hanal Pixán - the Maya celebration similar to Día de Muertos. With Spanish and English subtitles available for the Maya narration it's also a great language learning tool.Of course this is just scratching the surface, come
and you'll have a chance to learn even more about modern Maya culture!
If you would like to read more about Mexican culture, history, cuisine and language, check out our blog page for our latest monthly articles. You can also sign up to our newsletter to receive these straight to your inbox along with the latest news about our non-profit school for local and Indigenous students in Felipe Carrillo Puerto.
The best way to experience the Mexican lifestyle is in person, with a Na’atik Immersion experience. Not only do you live with a local Mexican-Maya family, sharing home-cooked meals and free time, but also receive expert instruction in your chosen language at our school. Best of all, every immersion experience helps fund our subsidized and free local education program, helping local students to access opportunities and make their own futures.