“Canción Mixteca”: A Lament That Crosses Borders (and Breaks Hearts)
In Paris, Texas, Wim Wenders’ haunting 1984 film, one of the most soul-stirring moments comes not through dialogue, but music. Ry Cooder's sparse slide guitar echoes across the American desert, and then, as if conjured by memory and longing, “Canción Mixteca”—written by José López Alavez in 1915—floats into the scene. Sung in Spanish, its lyrics speak of a heartache too heavy for translation, of a soul estranged from home: “Qué […]
