In 2018, I was contacted by producer Aureo Baqueiro about 150th
anniversary of Cinco De Mayo. I was hired to compose, orchestrate &
conduct music for the Closing ceremony & fireworks, & also to compose
music for a ballet in honor of the legend of Popocatepetl & Iztaccihuatl.

In the legend, Iztaccihuatl was a beautiful princess, & the daughter of
the King of the Aztecs. She was in love with Popocatepetl, a handsome &
fearless warrior. The King gave his approval for their marriage when
Popocatepetl returned from battle. A jealous rival of his told the princess
that Popocatepetl had died in battle. Grief overcame the princess, & she
died of a broken heart. When Popocatepetl came back victorious, he was
devastated when he found out what had happened. He ordered a tomb
built on mountains, & joined his lover to watch over her.

Eventually, snow covered them & formed two enormous volcanos. The
legend says that today, when Popocatepetl thinks of his lover the volcano
erupts with fire with his passion for her.

This piece started with a 5 minute tribal dance, followed by my
composition. I started this excerpt with the entrance of my piece dedicated
to the two lovers. It follows the storyline above, ending with the volcanic
eruption. It was recorded in Prague, Czechoslovakia.