Many musicians strive to capture their passion and encapsulate it in their music. If successful, this music even has the ability to transcend distance, carrying us to remote lands and cultures. Though Marco Hernandez has a remarkably unassuming persona, his passion for fighting for social justice resonates so profusely that it is felt in his music. In an unexplainable way, the recording on which he plays, entitled Music of the Andes, both transports its listeners to the fascinating world of the Andes Mountains and promotes the fair trade movement.

The humble beginnings of Music of the Andes began in 1992 when Marco and his wife, Kimberly, took a road trip from Tucson, AZ, to Delaware to visit her parents. Stopping in Houston, they came across an alternative trade store called "Pueblo to People." Fascinated by the sound of wind instruments, Hernandez found rare pieces from all over the world there. In conversing with the owners, he and Kimberly learned of a conference in California later that year that was centered around the concept of fair trade. Though the Fair Trade Federation was still in its early stages of development, the high energy of the attendees was enough to encourage the couple to believe that there was still "hope for the poor."

The following year, Marco accompanied his wife (an anthropologist) to Oaxaca, México, where she was doing field work. Though the living conditions were marginal, Marco and Kimberly took this opportunity to truly integrate with the people, especially a local ecology group and many musicians. They began to ponder the thought, "if only there was a way to help these people…" Little did they know that it was just a matter of time.

After Marco and Kimberly returned from Mexico, they attended a second Fair Trade Federation Conference. Here Hernandez noticed that there were no translations for the non-English speaking participants. He felt that somehow he needed to help tear down the barriers between those who were in attendance by forming a connecting thread among them all. The way he hoped to achieve this was through his music. Hernandez had been in a band called Bwiya-Toli, which mostly played music from Central America. In his eyes this was the supposed "voice of the poor." However, he was beginning to feel that "though the intention was great, it was not truly benefiting the poor." Slowly he was becoming more interested in representing music from other parts of Latin America, not just the Central American region. Because the band is based in Tucson, Hernandez had to leave Bwiya-Toli.

In Delaware, Hernandez then formed a new group with his good friend Paolo Coletti named Katari, after Tupak Katari — a freedom fighter of the 16th Century in Bolivia and Perú. Because Hernandez and Coletti understand each other musically and believe in the fair trade mission, they are able to blend their talents with a purpose. Katari mostly plays music from the Andean region, which includes Perú, Chile, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Because of the intricate composition of the Andean instruments, it is the music of which Hernandez is most fond. He says, "I haven’t even been there [the Andes]; yet its music has been able touch my spirit. I am convinced that my heart is Andean."

After attending two more Fair Trade Federation conferences, Hernandez wrote the "Fair Trade Song" in 1999 hoping that it would become the "connecting thread" he had envisioned. Though it was well-received at the conference, it was not enough to captivate the larger audience of fair trade advocates who were not in attendance. Instead of only having one song, he decided to record an entire album in support of the movement. The much-respected Made by Hand International Cooperative, a fair trade store in Delaware — which was started by Kimberly and Marco — was able to fund the production.

In May of 2001, Music of the Andes was released as a benefit album supporting fair trade. With its depiction of traditional Andean instruments on the cover, including a zapoña (a pan pipe) and the guitarra española (Spanish guitar), the album features music from both Bwiya-Toli and Katari, including the infamous Fair Trade Song. With "rustic, indigenous sounds," the songs are a representation of folk music from the campesinos of the Andean region and other countries in Latin America. Hernandez emphasizes however that what is important is the message behind the music. More than 200 CDs were sold in just one year, with forty percent of its proceeds going to the Fair Trade Federation. "We are not here to make the CD popular for our egos," says Hernandez. "Instead, it can be seen as a ‘wake up call’ for other musicians, poets, and artists…." Hopefully they too will be motivated to use their gifts to raise the awareness of economic injustice and the Fair Trade movement.

Marco Hernandez is truly putting his words into action by beautifully marrying his passion for music with his passion as a fair trade advocate. We at Café Campesino are proud to support Hernandez and his friends by carrying Music of the Andes in our product line. We invite you to enjoy the album while sipping our organic Peruvian Decaf coffee. In this way, both your taste buds and your ears can appreciate the essence of Andean culture. Enjoy!

Click here to purchase the Music of the Andes CD

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