ABSTRACT
By analysing how sets of actions are practised at son jarocho workshops, this chapter addresses how the learning practices entail a contrast between the fragmentation and simplification of sets of actions into manageable exercises and the integration of these parts into meaningful sequences that resemble 'the natural way'. It examines two related issues: the rhythmic coordination of practitioners' actions within a group through bodily gestures, and the reclamation of a traditional identity. The differentiation between traditional and folklorised son jarocho acquired its full social meaning in the process of disseminating a practice that was at apparent risk of extinction. Written records that explicitly detail how to play, dance or compose lyrics are practically non-existent, with only a handful of texts that have appeared in recent years providing general guidelines on how to play son jarocho instruments or perform dance steps.
