Circulation and Memory in <i>Villancico de Negro</i> : The Representation of Africans and Afro-Descendants from <i>Siglo de Oro</i> to <i>Son Jarocho</i>

Abstract This article assesses the connections between 17th-century Hispanic American religious Villancicos de negro (also known as guineos or negrillas ), along with secular theatre from the Modern Age, and the living Mexican tradition of Son Jarocho , particularly the Jarocho dance–song ( son ) known as Son de los Negritos . Therefore, I implement a methodology that links perspectives from historical musicology and ethnomusicology. This concatenation considers the continuity and memory in oral and written tradition. By doing so, I seek to discuss the impact of these transatlantic repertoires on the historical Afro-descendant communities in Mexico and the Spanish Empire of the Modern Age.