SOMETHING CHEERFUL: Tal Bachman shares this video and comments:

I just watched this entire video. My thoughts:
1.) This was a casual rehearsal – and it makes every other musical rehearsal I’ve ever participated in (symphonic, rock, jazz, choral) feel ridiculous.
2.) This is the Mexican “Freebird”.
3.) La muchacha on harp is face-melting. Combines supreme technical skill with supreme musical skill.
4.) The only instruments you’re hearing are those three (harp, guitarron, and vihuela), yet at first listen, you’d think there were a dozen people playing.
5.) This level of syncopation – and constantly improvised, no less – is beyond any other type of music I’m familiar with. The downbeat gloriously vanishes here and there, sometimes for bars, especially during the solo parts in the middle. How do they keep track of where the downbeat is?
6.) This is the most you can make out of only three chords. Impressive.
7.) I wonder how la muchacha has tuned her harp…?
8.) Guitarron player plays octaves on each note.
9.) There is only real error here: the last chord. Just end it on the one chord, amigos. But we can forgive that.

It’s worth a few minutes of your time.