Alejandro L. Madrid, associate professor of ethnomusicology in the Department of Music, has released a new book, In search of Julian Carrillo and Sonido 13 (Oxford University Press).
Madrid’s research on popular and art music, dance and expressive culture from Mexico, the U.S.-Mexico border, and the circum-Caribbean focuses on the intersection of modernity, tradition, globalization and identity.
The book explores the life and reception of Mexican composer Julián Carrillo (1875-1965). Carrillo developed a microtonal system called El Sonido 13 in the 1920s, and was one of the first advocators of microtonality, although much of his music and legacy are overlooked. Madrid tells the story of Carrillo and his ideas with musical analysis, cultural theory, and research, while providing valuable insight into 20th century Mexico.
