Gertie Lopez. Photo by Tom Spitz
Celebrate the opening of the new exhibition Heart of the Community: Baskets from the Basha Family Collection featuring the exquisite work of O’odham basket weavers.
In addition to being some of the first people in the Valley to see this collection presented at the Heard, guests will enjoy Waila music from Gertie and the T.O. Boyz along with basket dances provided by GRIC Basket Dancers—Kwiva Ba’ban (Westend Coyotes).
Waila is the traditional social dance music of the Tohono O’odham (Desert People). Drawn from the Mexican norteño tradition, though strictly instrumental, waila musicians play polkas, chotes (two-steps), cumbias, mazurka, and kwalya, a type of square dance danced at festivities of all occasions. Waila band instruments typically include saxophones and/or accordions, bajo sexto or electric guitar, electric bass and drums.
In addition to being some of the first people in the Valley to see this collection presented at the Heard, guests will enjoy Waila music from Gertie and the T.O. Boyz along with basket dances provided by GRIC Basket Dancers—Kwiva Ba’ban (Westend Coyotes).
Waila is the traditional social dance music of the Tohono O’odham (Desert People). Drawn from the Mexican norteño tradition, though strictly instrumental, waila musicians play polkas, chotes (two-steps), cumbias, mazurka, and kwalya, a type of square dance danced at festivities of all occasions. Waila band instruments typically include saxophones and/or accordions, bajo sexto or electric guitar, electric bass and drums.
