Mexico
Founded in 2007 | Located in Valladolid | 150+ Youth Served Weekly
LEAF International's music program in Valladolid, Mexico, is held at Ramón Osorio, a middle school serving students who also work during the day. The school is committed to teaching 21st-century skills alongside Mayan traditions, weaving the Mayan language into many of its activities.
Students learn to play traditional Mayan instruments and perform ancestral music through pieces such as Cabeza de Cochino, Xtoles, Noche de Ocarinas, El Tunkul, La Cigarra, and Los Mapuches. The program is designed to support community growth, revive cultural sustainability, and instill local pride through the challenge and beauty of music.
Teachers at the school are deeply committed to cross-disciplinary learning, building productions that weave together the meaning behind Mayan instruments, music, dance, and language — enriching students' studies far beyond the music room.
Meet The Culture Keeper
Marco Lievano has been teaching traditional Mayan culture for more than 15 years. He specializes in ceremonial traditions and provides weekly night classes to youth who have to work during the day. His energy and commitment to culture brought him to LEAF where he serves as the culture keeper of Mexico programming.
Marco
“We not only pass on the knowledge, we pass on the map to life. Our ancestors lived based on these practices.”