When Gertie Lopez squeezes her accordion, several centuries of musical history and countless memories flow from her instrument.
Lopez plays waila, the music of the Tohono O'odham. Waila, a word derived from the Spanish word "baile," is instrumental music forged by European and indigenous musical traditions.
At its center, waila is happy dance music of polka, schottische, mazurka, chote, two-step, cumbia and Kwayla, Tohono O'odham square dance.
"No matter where we play, everybody just loves the music," Lopez said.
Lopez is one of the music's best-known ambassadors in the Tucson area. She has been a musician for about 30 years.
She fronts Gertie & the T.O. Boyz, who for the past eight years have performed during "A Tucson Pastorela," an annual Christmas play produced by Borderlands Theater.
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Joining Lopez for "A Tucson Pastorela 2009": Jimmy Francisco on bass, Nathanial Thomas on drums and Eric Garcia on guitar.
"Pastorela" is the story of shepherds who are lured to Belen to see the newborn Christ child. On their journey they are guided by angels and distracted by Lucifer and his mischievous little devils. The play, which is rewritten each year to reflect current issues, opens its 14th edition today at the Leo Rich Theatre.
"We play for all kinds of people. I think that it doesn't matter who's playing, they love waila music," Lopez, said.
Lopez was born in Chui-Chu, a village 10 miles south of Casa Grande, in the Sif-Oidak District of the Tohono O'odham Nation. The reservation stretches across more than 2.7 million acres in Pinal, Maricopa and Pima counties. The Tohono O'odham Nation also includes a portion of Sonora, Mexico.
When Spanish priests and colonizers came to the Southwest in the 18th century, they introduced fiddles, guitars and Western European music. Indigenous musicians learned to play the instruments for religious ceremonies.
Waila music started with violins and guitars, said Lopez.
Over the years waila has evolved, it incorporated European polkas and Mexican norteño. Today a typical waila band includes an accordion, a saxophone, a bajo sexto (a 12-string rhythm guitar), electric bass and drums.
Lopez has added a violin to her ensemble, which plays on Saturday nights at Antonio's Bar at 2231 S. Fourth Ave. in South Tucson.
In addition to the button accordion, Lopez plays bass, drums, guitar, trumpet, keyboard, percussion, and the mariachi instruments vihuela and guitarrón.
Lopez and her nine siblings learned to play music under the guidance of her parents, Ida and Augustine B. Lopez Sr. When Lopez was younger, one of her first bands was the Lopez Brothers and Gertie.
Lopez still performs mariachi music with her family, the Ida Lopez group, at Catholic Masses, she said.
Since the formation of Gertie and the T.O. Boyz, the group has recorded two CDs, "To Everyone Who Has Left Us Forever" and "Tohono O'odham & Proud" for Mumsigo Ki records in Sells. A third recording, "A Tribute to My Dad Augustine B. Lopez Sr." will be released soon, Lopez said.
She pays tribute to her father, one of her musical heroes, who played the violin, guitar, bass, saxophone, vihuela and guitarrón.
Her other musical inspirations are Mexican ranchero singer Antonio Aguilar and Tex-Mex accordion wiz Flaco Jimenez. She's also a fan of country singer Loretta Lynn, rock bands Credence Clearwater Revival, ZZ Top, the Rolling Stones, T.O. Boyz guitarist Eric Garcia and the University of Arizona Marching Band.
But most of all, Lopez loves waila and wants to spread its joyful sound.
"My musical dream is to someday tour the world and show them that this Native American Tohono O'odham woman can play some accordion and sing," she said.
"I would like to show people of the entire world what waila music sounds like and how it is played."
Ernesto "Neto" Portillo Jr. is editor of La Estrella de Tucsón. He can be contacted at 573-4187 or eportillo@azstarnet.com
