"Canción Mixteca" is a Mexican

folk song Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be c ...

written by Oaxacan composer José López Alavez (1889–1974). Lopez Alavez wrote the melody of the song in 1912, and composed the lyrics in 1915. Lopez Alavez describes his feelings of homesickness for his home region of Oaxaca after moving to Mexico City. In modern times, the song has become an anthem both for the region of Oaxaca and Mexican citizens living abroad who miss their homeland. The song was used in the film '' Paris, Texas'' directed by

Wim Wenders Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders (; born 14 August 1945) is a German filmmaker, playwright, author, and photographer. He is a major figure in New German Cinema. Among many honors, he has received three nominations for the Academy Award for Best Docum ...

. The song was played by

Ry Cooder Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in traditional music, an ...

with the lyrics being sung by Harry Dean Stanton.

Lyrics

External links

*
Biography of Jose Lopez Alavez
*
The culture of migration in Southern Mexico
*
The eagle and the virgin: nation and cultural revolution in Mexico, 1920-1940
1912 songs Mexican folk songs {{Folk-song-stub