Featured in the Belize Pavilion at the 2016 Jazz Fest. Florencio Mess and his son Hilario present a rare glimpse into a rich, centuries-old culture that continues to live in the rainforests of Belize and Guatemala. 78 year-old Florencio Mess is one of the few remaining harpists to maintain the tradition of Maya K'ekchi' harp music and instrument crafting. His music is a living link to the ancient Maya civilization which thrived in Central America between Central Mexico and El Salvador, forming vast cities and building remarkable temples. The K"'ekchi"' Mayas, who migrated from Guatemala in the late 1800s, are one of the three modern-day Maya groups living in Belize today. Mess lives in the remote Maya village of San Pedro Columbia where he works his farm, crafts instruments and plays at local celebrations and fiestas. Like most traditional Maya musicians, Mess learned to play as a child, studying under a mentor who taught him not only the music, but also how to fashion instruments out of rain forest hardwoods using traditional tools. Mr. Mess has a large repertoire, based entirely on traditional songs, which the residents of his native village believe were composed by the Maya gods centuries ago. Mr. Mess is the leader of the Maya K"'ekchi"' Strings, which performed at the Rainforest World Music Festival in Malaysia in 2005. Katia Paradis"' 2007 documentary The Three Kings of Belize recognized Mr. Mess "u2018important contribution to Belize"' cultural heritage, along with legendary Belizean musicians Paul Nabor and Wilfred Peters. At the Festival, Florencio Mess and his son Hilario demonstrate how to make Maya string instruments using rudimentary tools and materials found in nature. They will also perform, making special appearances on the Belize Stage each Festival weekend. Hilario Mess, who has toured internationally with his father and the Maya K"'ekchi"' Strings explains: 'my father is a true Mayan harpist"u2026 regardless of what we would be doing, when music is requested, we will play. That is how much we love the harp music."u201d
