Hear History Sung by State Historian Robert Martinez

Folk musician Robert Martinez has played the Kennedy Center, according to his bio, and on Sunday, Sept. 17, he’ll play the San Ysidro Church in Corrales as part of the Corrales Historical Society’s 2023 Speaker Series.

This performance, and talk, is titled “Alabados, Alabanzas, Inditas and Corridos: The Enduring Hispanic Music of New Mexico,” and begins at 2 p.m. It’s free to the public, but capacity is limited to 150.

While performances at the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian FolkLife Festival in Washington, DC are esteemed venues, Martinez undoubtedly will feel more at home in New Mexico inside an old, historic church.

His bio says the UNM graduate has a master’s in history with an emphasis on church, cultural and social practices during the Spanish Colonial period. He later spent time as a research historian the Sephardic Legacy Project, which involved deep dives into church archives in New Mexico, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe.

Oh, did we mention he’s the state historian?

Well, he is. And he’s an accomplished musician, often playing around the state with his father and brother, as he did at the events in Washington.

According to a news release, Martinez’s appearance will entertain and enlighten people about “New Mexico’s rich historical past and cultural tapestry with music, presenting song forms that date back centuries.”

The historic old San Ysidro church is located at 966 Old Church Road in Corrales.