Jaime Garza and Ishto Juevez. Photo: Parker Asman
While the rain continued to fall outside, the noise from the soundcheck on stage faintly echoed outside of Sabor a Cafe as people filed in to enjoy the Latin folk music of Ishto Juevez, a native of Guatemala who traveled to the United States for the first time to share his passion and love for music with those in attendance.
A traditional Colombian steakhouse, Sabor a Cafe set the mood for the night’s events as onlookers made their way to the back room. Seated under dim lighting, the wood paneling and makeshift roofs along the walls provided a very homey ambience as the smell of authentic Latin American food permeated throughout the space, in a way almost transporting those in the audience to the heart of Latin America. With the set time slated for 8:00 p.m., Juevez wasted no time as he stepped on stage right as the clock struck the top of the hour.
Typically a solo artist on stage, Juevez was accompanied by a drummer, bassist and another guitarist on stage to give his music the full sound that is heard on his recordings. One of Chicago’s own, bassist Jaime Garza Rodriguez of Dos Santos: Anti-Beat Orquesta, got the night started with a very heartfelt introduction and message to onlookers. After explaining Guatemala’s elation over the approved bid to impeach their corrupt president, Otto Perez, Juevez seemed to be seated atop a wave of happiness and liberation as the group entered into their first song for the evening.
The music of Istho Juevez is no easy thing to describe. Weaving together a bilingual blend of traditional Latin American music with touches of funk, jazz, folk and cumbia, Juevez and his trio strategically weaved through a collection of music that exposed their many talents. Although Juevez’s name was the only one listed on the bill for the evening, the Guatemalan made a point to showcase the skills of the other performers throughout each song. With a mixture of rehearsed and improvised material, Juevez playfully interacted with audience members in a way that seemed to transform the space into a communal living room.
Juevez has not had your typical path to musical success either. While rarely having a stable place to live, over the past few years he has traveled far and wide throughout Latin America sharing the thing he loves most; his music. Where as sometimes there appears to be a disconnect between the artist and the audience, Juevez broke down that barrier immediately as he spoke in English and Spanish to accommodate the variety of people that were in attendance. About halfway through the first set, Juevez raised his glass and made a heartfelt toast to peace and love to those in attendance, thanking them for welcoming him with open arms as an undocumented migrant from Guatemala. Juevez’s ups and downs traveling as a migrant without a stable home were reflected in the songs he selected to play, much of which were off of his 2014 release, ‘Republica de Ele Migrante.’
After about an hour of playing, Juevez and his bandmates exited the stage to meet and greet onlookers who were eager to share an intimate moment. While uncertainty of whether or not they would retake the stage loomed in the air, Juevez quietly inched back towards the stage and picked up his guitar. Rodriguez then took time to again thank the audience and reintroduce his close friend before he entered into a solo set. Seated alone on stage, Juevez began to showcase his true talents as his appearance as simply a man with a guitar morphed into that of a fully outfitted band accompanied with horns and maracas.
Sporting a grey top hat with his long black hair tucked into a bun, Juevez skillfully changed tempos with each song, providing the audience with a complete blend of his abilities. Using his feet as drums and his mouth and lips as horns and maracas, the talented musician’s fingers danced up and down the neck of his guitar while he mixed his improvisational skills into his songs. With a constant smile, Juevez’s small, gold gem on his big tooth shined in the light, accompanying the glow that came from his sheer presence on stage. However, Juevez’s modesty couldn’t handle the spotlight for too long as he invited his close friend and guitarist back on stage to accompany him once more. Moments into the next song, Juevez quickly motioned to his guitarist to take the lead as he whistled and laughed alongside of him, loudly displaying his love and appreciation for the moment.
As the clocked neared 11:00 p.m. and closing time for the restaurant, Juevez’s gratitude for the people in the room and the space they all occupied was evident in his inability to find the right words to thank everyone. Nonetheless, his appreciation and compassion resonated strongly among the crowd as they reciprocated that appreciation in smiles, laughter and cheers following his performance.
If there’s one thing to take away from Ishto Juevez, it has to be his love for the present moment. Often times life has a way of taking us in a variety of different directions, and sometimes unwillingly. Although, if a conscious effort is made to focus on the present moment and embrace the things that surround us, big and small, with love and compassion, the world can start to appear as a much more loving place.
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Parker Asmann is a 2015 graduate of DePaul University with degrees in Journalism and Spanish, along with a minor in Latin American and Latino Studies. He is currently residing in Chicago while focusing on issues of social justice and human rights with aspirations of becoming a foreign correspondent.
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