Paco Padilla
A native son of Tlaquepaque, in the Mexican state of Jalisco, Paco Padilla was born into a family of potters. Introduced to the craft of pottery through his father’s shop, Padilla went on to study chemical engineering, learning the secrets of pottery processes, pastes and paints. Throughout his life, Padilla worked to bring technical innovation to the production of pottery. Since 1994 his workshop has produced plates, plaques and murals, mainly in stoneware and majolica.
He also is a prolific composer of a modern style of Mexican folk music known as “nueva cancion.” With performances around the world, Padilla’s art keeps alive this unique form of Spanish-language music.
Padilla says it is difficult to classify his compositions in a musical genre. “Musically I don’t have a defined genre; I try to write facts, feelings that I see in this moment in the city, suddenly there is a feeling that goes with a cumbia rhythm, and there are other feelings that go with a ballad or a song. My style evolves around trying to describe a fact and send a reflection, a message, a bit of humor, in a world that is so impersonal, and so rushed.”