[Source: AP News] Backstage at a celebration of Indigenous peoples in Mexico City’s sprawling central square, Carlos CGH traced his fingers across a black and red “gabán,” which is similar to a poncho. The garment, native to the Triqui people in western Oaxaca, is a source of pride for the 24-year-old rapper and reserved for special occasions. Its textured surface was decorated with intricate needlepoint patterns of multicolored corn husks.
Such details are an important part of his identity as a musician, representing his origins as a descendant of the Triqui nation. His verses are reflective of his culture, and he aims to conserve his native tongue, Triqui, through contemporary rap. Triqui is one of many Mixtec languages spoken in Oaxaca and has four variants.
One variant, Xnánj nu’ a, is particular to Guadalupe’s hometown of San Juan Copala. The Indigenous Triqui people, numbering about 20,000, have struggled with political and social conflicts going back more than 80 years. The area also has become a hot spot for arms trafficking, drug trafficking and illegal logging.
Growing internal disputes for territorial control, including dozens of killings, have led to forced displacement for many in the community. Many Triquis have moved to Mexico City but push to return to their homes. Guadalupe is originally from the municipality of Santiago Juxtlahuaca, which many Triquis were forced to leave.
At the age of 6, he relocated to another Oaxacan city, Huajuapan de Leo�.