The Chieftains featuring Ry Cooder   •   San Patricio

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  • San Patricio
    • 2010 - Hear Music HRM-31321-02 CD (USA)
  • Tracklist
    1. La Iguana (Trad. Arr. P. Moloney,Lila Downs) —w/Lila Downs
    2. La Golondrina (Trad. Arr. P. Moloney,Los Folkioristas) —w/Los Folkioristas
    3. A La Orilla de Un Palmar (Trad. Arr. Linda Ronstadt) —w/Linda Ronstadt
    4. Danza de Concheros (Trad. Arr. P. Moloney,Los Folkioristas) —w/Los Folkioristas
    5. El Chivo (Trad. Arr. Julian Gonzalez) —w/Los Cenzontles
    6. San Campio (P. Moloney) —w/Carlos Núñez
    7. The Sands Of Mexico (R. Cooder) —w/Ry Cooder
    8. Sailing To Mexico (P. Moloney) —w/Carlos Núñez
    9. El Caballo (Trad. Arr. Los Camperos de Valles, P. Moloney) —w/Los Camperos de Valles
    10. March To Battle (Across The Rio Grande) (P. Moloney, Brendan Graham) —w/Banda de Gaita de Batallón, Liam Neeson, Los Cenzontles and L.A. Juvenil
    11. Lullaby For The Dead (P. Moloney, Brendan Graham) —w/Moya Brennan
    12. Luz De Luna (A. Carrillo) —w/Chavela Vargas
    13. Persecución de Villa (S. M. Lozano) —w/Mariachi Santa Fe de Jesus (Chuy) Guzman
    14. Canción Mixteca (Intro) (Jóse Lopéz Alavéz) —w/Ry Cooder
    15. Canción Mixteca (José López Alavéz) —w/Los Tigres Del Norte
    16. Ojitos Negros (Trad. Arr. Eugene Rodriguez) —w/Los Cenzontles
    17. El Relampago (Trad. Arr. P. Moloney,Lila Downs) —w/Lila Downs
    18. El Pájaro Cu (Trad. Arr. La Negro Graciana, P. Moloney) —w/La Negra Graciana
    19. Finale (Trad. Arr. P Moloney) —w/Los Cenzontles, Carlos Núñez, Los Folkioristas, Banda de Gaita de Batallón, L.A. Juvenil
  • The Chieftains
    • Kevin Conneff: Bodhrán, Lilting
    • Matt Molloy: Flute
    • Paddy Moloney: Uilleann Pipes, Tin Whistle, Pipe Drones
    • Seán Keane: Fiddle
  • Musicians
    • Ry Cooder: Guitar (Tracks: 3, 7, 14 & 15), Vocals (Track: 7), & Timbales, Piano, Laud (Track: 7)
    • Tríona Marshall: Harp (Tracks: 2-12 & 18)
    • Neil Martin: Cello (Tracks: 6, 8, 10, 11 & 12)
    • John Pilatzke: Fiddle (Tracks: 1, 13 & 17), & Step Dancing (Track: 17)
    • Van Dyke Parks: Piano, Accordion (Track: 14)
    • Cara Butler: Irish Step Dancing (Track: 17)
    • Lila Downs: Lead Vocals (Track: 1), & Vocals, Step Dancing (Track: 17)
    • Paul Cohen: Vocals (Tracks: 1 & 17)
    • Robert Curto: Accordion (Tracks: 1 & 17)
    • Carlos Henderson: Bass (Tracks: 1 & 17)
    • Celso Duarte:, Vocals (Tracks: 1 & 17), Harp (Track: 1), & Fiddle (Track: 17)
    • Edmar Castaneda: Harp (Track: 1), & Cuatro (Track: 17)
    • Ernesto Villa Lobos: Jarana (Track: 1), & Fiddle (Track: 17)
    • Juancho Herrera: Guitar, Vocals (Tracks: 1 & 17)
    • Samuel Torres: Conga, Maracas (Track: 1), & Cajon (Track: 17)
    • Yayo Serka: Cajon (Track: 1), & El Bombo (Track: 17)
    • Los Folkioristas
      • Adrian Nieto: Percussion (Track: 2), & Mandolin (Track: 4)
      • Efrén Vargas: Percussion (Track: 2), & Mandolin (Track: 4)
      • Enrique Hernandez: Chontal Flute (Track: 2), & Concha Guitar (Track: 4)
      • Gabriela Rodriguez: Percussion (Track: 2), & Concha Guitar (Track: 4)
      • Jose Avila: Percussion (Track: 2), & Huehuetl (Track: 4)
      • Olga Alanis: Percussion (Track: 2) & Teponaztle (Track: 4)
      • Omar Valdez: Percussion (Track: 2), & Aayacaxtles (Huesos De Fraile) (Track: 4)
    • Linda Ronstadt: Lead Vocal (Track: 3)
    • Ersi Arvizu: Vocals (Track: 3)
    • Rene Camacho: Upright Bass (Track: 3)
    • Sergio Alonso: Harp (Track: 3)
    • Jesus (Chuy) Guzman: Violin (Tracks: 3 & 7)
    • Los Cenzontles
      • Eugene Rodriguez: Vihuela (Track: 5)
      • Julian Gonzalez: Violin (Track: 5)
      • Lucina Rodriguez: Vocals And Zapateado (Track: 5)
      • Sofia Fojas: Violin (Track: 5)
      • Fabiola Trujillo: Vocals (Track: 5), & Lead Vocal (Track: 16)
      • Hugo Arroyo: Guitarron, Tuba And Quijada (Track: 5), & Lead Vocal (Track: 16)
      • Marisa Bautista: Zapateado (Track: 5), & Lead Vocal (Track: 16)
    • Carlos Núñez: Galician Bagpipes (Gaita) (Tracks: 6 & 17), & Low Whistle (Track: 8)
    • Xurxo Núñez: Electric Guitars (Track: 6), & Bones, Drums (Track: 8)
    • Arturo Gallardo: Clarinet (Track: 7)
    • Jimmy Cuellar: Violin (Track: 7)
    • Juan Rodriguez: Violin (Track: 7)
    • Raul Cuellar: Violin (Track: 7)
    • Rene Camacho: Bass (Track: 7)
    • Rogelio Navarrate: Clarinet (Track: 7)
    • Niamh Ní Charra: Concertina (Track: 8)
    • Pancho Alvarez: Bouzouki (Track: 8)
    • Los Camperos de Valles (Track: 9)
      • Camilo Ramirez: Violin
      • Gregorio Solano: Jarana Guitar
      • Marcos Hernández: Lead Vocals, Huapanguera Guitar
    • Liam Neeson: Narration (Track: 10)
    • Moya Brennan: Lead Vocal (Track: 11)
    • Chavela Vargas: Lead Vocal (Track: 12)
    • Juan Carlos 'Che' Allende: Guitar (Track: 12)
    • Miguel Pena: Guitar (Track: 12)
    • Los Tigres Del Nort (Track: 15)
      • Eduardo Hernández: Electric Bass, Acoustic Bass, Vocals
      • Hernán Hernández: Electric Bass, Vocals
      • Jorge Hernández: Lead Vocal, Accordion
      • Luis Hernández: Accordion, Bajo Sexto, Vocals
      • Oscar Lara: Drums
    • Felipe Ochoa: Requinto Guitar, Vocal (Track: 18)
    • Graciana Silva: Lead Vocal, Harp (Track: 18)
    • Marco Ochoa: Jarana Guitar, Vocal (Track: 18)
  • Credits
    • Produced by Paddy Moloney & Ry Cooder
    • Recorded by Brian Masterson at Soundscape Studios, Dublin, Ireland, (Except Track: 14)
      • Tracks: 1 & 17 — Recorded by Jeffrey Lesser at Clinton Studios, New York, NY
        • Associate Engineer: Bart Migal
      • Tracks: 2, 4, 9, 10 & 18 – Recorded by Rodolfo Vazquez at Sony Studios, Mexico City, Mexico
        • Assistant Engineers: Gabriel Castañon, Alberto J Rodríguez
      • Tracks: 3, 5, 7 & 16 — Recorded by Martin Pradler at Hyde Street Studios, San Francisco, CA
        • Assistant Engineer: Stephen Armstrong (Tracks: 3, 5 & 16)
      • Tracks: 6 & 8 — Recorded by Xurxo Núñez at Quinteiro de Nerua, Galicia, Spain
      • Recorded by Martin Pradler at Good Neighbor Studio, Chatsworth, CA (Track: 7)
      • Tracks: 10, 13, 14 & 15 — Recorded by Martin Pradler at Sage and Sound Studios, Hollywood, CA
        • Assistant Engineer: Mike Riley
      • Field Recording by Rodolfo Vazquez, Morelos, Mexico (Track: 12)
        • Assistant Engineer: Raul Durand Flores
    • Mixed by Paddy Moloney and Brian Masterson at Soundscape Studios, Dublin, Ireland
    • Mastered by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, California
    • Original Artwork (arcylic on board): www.artedemoises.com
    • Art Direction and Package Design: Larissa Collins
    • Additional Art Direction: Guadalupe Jolicoeur, Steve Macklam
    • Design Assistance: Albert J. Roman
    • Research/Coordination: Guadalupe Jolicoeur, Mary Farquharson
    • SPECIAL THANKS … Jose "Pepe" Avila, Fernando Conde, María Cortina, Kathleen Deas, Michelle Findlay, Alejandro Grajeda, Guadalupe Jolicoeur, Walter Le Daca, Jeffrey Lesser, David Levinson, Mary Levitan, Christian Macklam, Seán Major, Brian Masterson, Colin Nairne, Sarah Pidhirniak, Martin Pradler, Eugene Rodriguez, Carlos Rossini, Guillermo Santiso, Dwayne Ulloa, Rodolfo Vazquez, María Vinós, Bambu Audiovisual Mary Farquharson, Eduardo Llerenas, Amanda Franco and Corason Records, Mexico. Enriqueta Cabrera and El Museo Nacional de las Intervenciones, Churubusco, Mexico.

Sleeve Notes

To this day the story of the San Patricios is a little discussed and even less understood footnote in the greater panorama of American Westward expansion. During the Mexican-American War of 1846-48 Captain John Riley and a small battalion of soldiers abandoned their pasts and futures in the burgeoning United States of America and followed their conscience — or their fortune perhaps — across the Rio Grande to fight side by side with the Mexican army under the command of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana. Reviled by the Manifest Destiny minded America of the day as traitors and deserters they have largely been forgotten in the retelling of history. But to generations of Mexicans and Irish they are remembered to this day as heroes who fought bravely against an unjust and thinly veiled war of aggression. While the San Patricios were comprised of the displaced, the downtrodden and the devil-may-care from many nations, runaway slaves among them, the majority were made up of Irishmen recently arrived in America. Driven from their homeland after years of oppressive occupation and the devastating effects of the Irish Potato Famine, pressed into military service by poverty and circumstance, they often found themselves obliged to serve under officers with the same English and Protestant leanings they had suffered under at home. Mistreated and maligned as unwelcome and untrustworthy and asked to fight in a war few understood, it is not so difficult to imagine their motivation.

For some it was a war of religion, for some it was a war of freedom and for others it was a war of adventure and opportunity. Ultimately for Mexico and the San Patricios it was a war of tragedy and great loss. After distinguishing themselves for skill and bravery in many hard-fought battles the battalion finally found themselves making their last stand at the fort of Churubusco alongside their embattled Mexican compatriots. Knowing their fate would be sealed in defeat they fought on against the inevitable, some say captured only after their ammunition had been exhausted, refusing to surrender. In a final show of patriotic disdain many of the surviving San Patricios were unceremoniously separated from the Mexican regulars, court-martialed for treason and made to pay the final price on the gallows. A select few were branded on both cheeks with the letter 'D' for deserter and left to their fate.

For years I have been fascinated by this story and the lost trails of history, wondering to myself what it must have been like for the San Patricios. Alone in the desert night, what were they dreaming of. Was it Gold. Was it God. Was it Glory. Did they think of home when they heard the mission bells ringing the call to Mass. Were the dark eyed señoritas an impossible comfort to imagine. With land and liberty at stake, did the common Mexican not seem so different from themselves. So many powerful emotions at play. Yet, for all of it, there must have been another life beyond the clash of arms. If the Mexicans were there, there must have been music. I know for myself, if the Irish were there, there would most certainly have been music. And in the music there is always another history, another way of remembering the past, an older remembrance concerned less with battles and imagined borders and more with the ageless themes of love, loss and dreams of what might be. It is a simple, or perhaps after all, a not so simple human commonality. When Ry said to me one day "Los Angeles is still a Mexican town," he seemed the Voice of Ages, it was as if I he had swept away hundreds of years of history like so much sand to reveal a New Word, still undiscovered, in many ways impossible to comprehend but enchanting in its possibilities. And so we find ourselves here so many years later in studios from Dublin to New York, from Spain to Mexico and finally from Los Angeles back to Dublin, singing the songs of the San Patricios in a thousand different voices, across dreams broken and begun again, across lands and lives far gone and perhaps only imagined … but still I think worth listening for.

Paddy Moloney