Born: 1939, United States
Died: NA
Country most active: United States
Also known as: NA
The following is republished from the National Endowment for the Arts. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
Carmencristina Moreno, recipient of the Bess Lomax Hawes Award, is recognized for her lifelong contribution to Mexican American musical heritage through songwriting, performing, and teaching.
Her parents were pioneering Mexican American singers in the Los Angeles area during the late 1930s and ’40s, performing as El Dueto de Los Moreno. Inspired by her parents and their friends, she also decided to pursue a career in music and performance.
During the post-war years, the Moreno family moved to California’s San Joaquin Valley to labor as farm workers, never giving up their musical performances. In 1976, Carmencristina gained widespread attention through her appearance on the milestone recording ¡Si Se Puede! (Yes, It Can Be Done!) for which she composed the songs “Corrido de Dolores Huerta” and “Sangre Antigüa” (Ancient Blood). Later she would write an ode to César Chávez.
She became increasingly involved in teaching broader audiences about Mexican American musical heritage. She participated in the 1993 Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife, conducting workshops and performing her songs of labor and life in the Central Valley. Through a teaching program, she created Parallel Histories of the United States and Mexico through Music and has conducted classes in schools throughout the region. In 2001 she was given the Horizon Award by the Fresno Arts Council in recognition of her lifetime of work as an educator and performer.