The Braided Janes in CDMX: A Binational Artistic Experience with ALMA
November 11-15, The Braided Janes traveled to Mexico City as invited participants in the Binational Artist Conference hosted by ALMA (Alianza Latinoamericana por la Movilidad Artística) — a gathering of artists, organizers, and storytellers from both sides of the border working at the intersection of art, identity, and social justice.
During these days in CDMX we made meaningful memories and connections we felt blossomed. It felt cathartic, like coming home to myself - a knowing that no matter how long ago my parents migrated, there will always be a place for me there.
Wednesday, Nov 12 — OSF, Semilleros & SECTUR
The day started bright and early at hotel One Alameda where we were staying. We boarded a private bus to Open Society Foundations (OSF), where we were greeted by Úrsula Sánchez and formally met ALMA's team as well as the other artists joining the conference. There were artists, musicians, writers, journalists, cinematographers, singers, songwriters but we all had one thing in common, our commitment to social justice and community care.
We shared stories of our identity and lived experience as descendants of Mexico living in the United States, whether born there or having migrated. Some discussed what it meant to be a Chicano, while others didn't identify with the term at all. It was humbling to witness pre-judgements melt away within our own community to reveal that despite contrasting points of view, it all boils down to a shared longing for connection and community.
Tears were shed, friendships were made and we moved forward through the rest of the trip with a shared sense of camaraderie knowing we were a part of something much larger.
At Open Society Foundations we learned about their mission to support independent voices and organizations that promote human rights, equity and the rule of law, via grant giving, research, advocacy, and strategic litigation.
We learned about ALMA’s partner platforms:
MexiPress, a binational, community-powered, justice-focused news outlet with the aim of telling our stories through our own lens.
and Mindsurf, a social-good app centered on emotional wellness and empowerment tailored to the migrant and binational experience.
Starting the trip here felt grounding — like being welcomed into a larger network of people doing meaningful work across borders.
After OSF, we visited Los Semilleros Creativos, the community-based artistic training facility where we met Samantha Urdapilleta who gave us a wonderful overview. We learned about their mission to provide creative outlets such as Performing and Visual Arts, Creative Writing, Audiovisual Production, Traditional Arts and the preservation of Indigenous Languages to under-represented communities, as an initiative by the Secretaría de Cultura.
We saw firsthand how youth in Mexico are being supported to create, imagine, and express themselves through art. Walking through their creative spaces, seeing their artwork and their joy, left a deep impression on us.
We boarded the bus once more towards La Casa De Toño where we enjoyed a delicious dinner with everyone before heading to our last stop, la Secretaría de Turismo (SECTUR) where we met Dra. Nathalie Desplas.
There, we talked about the cultural richness of of Mexico, its Pubelos Magicos (magical towns) and El Tren Maya that runs along the beautiful coastline of Mexico. We learned about Michoacán, and the Plan for Peace and Justice to revitalize local economies and share its beauty and wonder with the world. We discussed our role as bi-national artists in taking back the narrative by sharing our truth and lived experience in Mexico to help strengthen the relationship and fortify cultural ties between Mexico and the U.S.
This meeting felt like the beginning of something bigger — it reaffirmed our commitment to making music with a purpose, deeply rooted in connection. It was an honor to feel recognized by Mexico's SRE and SECTUR for our work as cultural change agents through our art form.
After a successful meeting and even some brainstorming of how we can further collaborate, we made our way back to the hotel to meet Andy who had just flown in. We enjoyed a nice dinner at Taquería El Caifán and called it an early night.
Thursday, Nov 13 — El Rule, WOMB
The next day we were able to deviate from the group to prepare for our first official performance ever in Mexico set to take place at cultural institution, El Rule located in Mexico City's historic city center. Built over the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán, its colonial architecture dates back 300 years. El Rule was once part of Montezuma's palace, then a Franciscan monastery, and despite the damage it incurred in the 1985 earthquake, it's now a vibrant cultural center where we had the honor of expressing ourselves through the gift of music.
Staying back was supposed to give us a head start but for various reasons including the false fire alarm that caused an evacuation at the hotel and the taxi driver taking us half hour in the wrong direction we made it in the nick of time. The sound guy was so incredible and really provided wonderful support to get us up and running.
It was wonderful to perform for fellow artists and the ALMA team and it was an absolute honor when our sound began to draw passers by who couldn't resist entering through the corridor and making their way to the outdoor stage to enjoy the performance before going about their day. Some watched from afar but their body language made me smile because I knew they were listening intently and genuinely engaged. I spoke loudly so that the vendors outside could hear me as I said how proud I was of our beautiful hardworking people both there and abroad. We performed Cancion Mixteca and people lit up.
During Mi Canto, I hopped off stage and sang as and walked into the open courtyard to enjoy the beauty that surrounded us. It was such a surreal moment taking it all as I sang, looking around at our surroundings, the architecture, the monumental alebrije at our side... I felt so connected and at peace there. It felt harmonious, like coming home. I danced with the crowd who clapped along and twirled in the beautiful Mexican flag inspired gown with it's eagle proudly perched on the cactus, so was I, proudly standing on that land.
I heard such wonderful feedback. A gentleman approached me with a teary smile and thanked me for the good vibes which was completely reciprocal and imparatie to the moment we shared. What a vibe... what a way to connect with people. Me Llena el alma.
It means so much to me to return to the country where my parent were born to share my voice and our music so deeply rooted there despite where it blossomed. Just thinking about it overwhelms me with joy... I am so grateful for the path that led us there and for my incredible family and bandmates that continue to accompany me on this spiritual, musical journey. We snapped this photos before heading back to the hotel to drop off our instruments.
We rode a bici-taxi in this gown all the way back to Bellas Artes which was just across from El Rule to take photos. The entire building was blocked off as there was a protest that day which had me very introspective about the duality of it all. The bici-taxi was kind enough to take us as far as he could. We walked the rest of the short distance towards the building and a passerby pointed at the building and said, "El Palacio" and pointed at me in the gown and said, "El Arte" and it made me smile. And just like that, after some photos and a lengthly bathroom change it was over.
We hurried our way back to re-integrating with the rest of the group who had just finished lunch and were boarding the bus to the next stop and arrived in the nick of time once more. We ate our tacos on the bus with big smiles on our face and I was nudged with notion that despite our personal clock, the time will always be just right. Like the welcome sign said when Juny and I arrived to the airport in CDMX, "Los tiempos de dios son perfectos" - the sign wasn't made for us, but the message most certainly was received.
Our next stop was Womb Mexico, where we met founder Joui Turandot and learned about the artist co-op and residencies available. The house was a beautiful work of art, whimsical, colorful and inspiring. I smiled at the thought of all we'd create if The Braided Janes could have a residency there, painting, writing music, performing, teaching workshops - Taking a break from the mental warfare that is living in the U.S.
So often we day dream of taking a month off to work on music in Mexico. The more we contemplate it the more we have the urge to record there and as our musical repertoire keeps growing so does our desire to record a full album of traditional Mexican cover songs.
After a group dinner that evening we had some drinks at Perro Negro with our new friend Daniela then called it a night.
Friday, Nov 14 — CENART, Bellas Artes
