The dancers of Ballet Tucson take the stage in an array of colorful costumes with lively choreography and the spirit of Lalo Guerrero.

“Barrio Viejo,” set to premiere this weekend, celebrates Tucson’s 250th anniversary and honors Lalo Guerrero, a Tucson native, the internationally recognized father of Chicano music.

Chieko Imada, Ballet Tucson’s associate artistic director and resident choreographer, created the show, which features the arts and the rich history of the city and those who came before us.

The 30-minute, full company production includes several of Guerrero ‘s songs, including “Barrio Viejo,” “Vamos a Bailar,” “Nunca Jamás,” “Los Chucos Suaves,” “There’s No Tortillas,” “Dulce Madre” and “Canción Mexicana.”

Margaret Mullin, artistic director of Ballet Tucson, said the piece includes vignettes exploring the story of each song.

“He was a very colorful storyteller and had a very theatrical flair within each of his songs, so Chieko really tried to focus on each story within each song,” she said. “We’re exploring each song individually and then having kind of a general encompassing celebration of Lalo.”

“Barrio Viejo” represents Tucson’s history through Guerrero’s music and weaves in the rich history of the Barrio Viejo neighborhood, which has changed dramatically since Guerrero’s time. 

“After I created this piece, I realized that we’re going to be performing at The Leo Rich Theater, which used to be Barrio Viejo,” Imada said.  “It’s very special to be able to be on stage where it used to be and then present his songs where he grew up.”

Mullin added that the show includes projections of murals and the Barrio Viejo neighborhood through photos taken by Carlos Chavez, a local photographer. 

Throughout the performance, members of the Tucson Guitar Society will be playing Guerrero’s songs live on stage. Misael Barrasa-Diaz, president of the society, said the musicians have made efforts in conserving the flavor of the music despite using different instruments than the original versions. 

“I kind of had to get creative with some of the pieces, but at the same time, Lalo’s music is so captivating that honestly, it would sound good with almost any combination of instruments,” he said. “It’s just that good.”

As a part of Latino community, Barrasa-Diaz said celebrating Guerrero as an all-time great of Latino music allowed him to connect to his heritage. He added that Guerro’s music is a reflection of the cultural diversity in Tucson – he lived in the United States, but highlighted his ties to Mexico through his songs. 

“I’m in a privileged position to understand Lalo’s music because I have the cultural background of both places, Mexico and the United States,” he said. “We have a wide-ranging cast of musicians as well, and we’re all collaborating to make this music happen. So in a way, it’s also reflective of  Lalo’s music itself–the fact that he was living here in the United States, but obviously had very strong ties to Mexico and the Tucson community.”

“Barrio Viejo” was created in collaboration with the guitar society, Imada and Mullin said, which helped obtain and re-imagine the music along with Dan Guerrero, son of Lalo Guerrero. 

“I did request a music rotation from Dan Guerrero, who is Lalo Guerrero’s son, but some of the songs are very old. They didn’t have it,” she said. “But he was willing to adapt and re-establish by playing guitar. So that was very, very helpful.”

Dan Guerrero’s connection to music stems from his father, he said. 

“Music is just in me,” he said. “No surprise considering who my dad was, but music is in me, literally.”

He said his father would sit at the edge of the bed, plucking out melodies, writing and singing his own music. “Barrio Viejo” was one of the greatest songs he ever wrote with its poetry, elegance and sense of community, he added. The nostalgia Lalo Guerrero had for his old neighborhood inspired the song along with the grief he endured in its disappearance.

“Barrio Viejo” he said is “universal–everybody has a barrio, a neighborhood where they grew up.”

After premiering the song at “Tucson Meet Yourself,” Lalo Guerrero would perform the song in other places like Los Angeles.

“He was going to be doing a big event at Royce Hall at UCLA–it was a very serious night of music,” he said. “Dad walks out, sits on a stool with his guitar, sings ‘Barrio Viejo,’ and gets the only standing ovation of the night.”

In “Barrio Viejo,” audiences will witness collaborative, live art that emphasizes the meaning of community, Barrasa-Diaz said. The merging of artistic disciplines makes for an experience greater than one art form on its own. 

“The live dance aspect to me is the ultimate peak of humanity,” he said. “Being able to collaborate across cultures, across disciplines, and achieve something greater than any of the separate parts by themselves seems like a very special thing.”

Mullin added that the ballet serves as a reminder to preserve and appreciate the history of Tucson. 

“We’re trying to make more intentional steps to treasure our history and not just bulldoze over it,” she said. “His story is a great reminder to always be reflective of the amazing people and the amazing things that we’ve had in our Tucson community, and that we don’t want to lose those things–we want to continue to celebrate our history.”

“Barrio Viejo” is a part of Ballet Tucson’s triple-bill program “From Tucson with Love,” which runs Feb. 14-16. The program also features George Balanchine’s “Rubies” as well as a Romeo and Juliet pas de deux choreographed by Mullin. Tickets can be purchased via the Ballet Tucson website. 

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.