I thank the Virgin of the Valley because now I can stop worrying about this crafty Carlos—my little daughter Carmen’s boyfriend whom I don’t trust for a moment—putting his hands all over my girl. Now I’m playing maracas at the parties and I don’t loose him for a second while they dance.

Virgin of Guadalupe, thank you. When I was left without a job and needed money to support my family, I took my guitar and went to sing to the street protected under your mantle. Thanks to you the things have been going well. WIth this retablo I thank you for everything.

Victor Martinez — Mexico City, December 12, 1990

My father wasn’t very glad that I had a boyfriend, so Antonio and I had to meet secretly. One night we were at the cemetery where no one could see us. We were sitting on a grave and talking when we heard a music. We saw the dead leaving their graves and having a party. They played instruments and danced. We were very much frightened. We thank the Virgin of Guadalupe for we could escape and the skeletons didn’t see us.

This retablo is for the Miraculous Virgin because she helped me to get a stable job in a bar in the capital. Besides that I don’t need to wake up early to scrub the floors, I receive good tips dancing for the clients and playing the marimbas naked.

The Ramirez sisters thank Saint Cecily for they finally managed to save enough money for the instruments. Now they have a rock band, and they have many gigs.

With this retablo, I thank the Virgin of the Charity who helped me to collect some money for the maracas without which I couldn’t have worked in the “Windmill” cabaret in Tijuana.

I thank the Virgin of Immaculate Conception because thanks to her I could practice a Wurlitzer piano at our parish and a piece I composed was chosen among 250 girls for the musical background of the radio commercial of a famous detergent.

The Perez Lopez brothers thank Saint Maroun with this retablo for helping them to get musical instruments and to create their rock band.

When my husband went to work at the north, I felt very lonely at evenings. Then I began to play guitar and sing outside. Little by little my melodies attracted all the cats from our neighborhood. They were captivated by my music. I thank the Virgin of Zapopan for this big company I have now.

Matilda Olaldi
Tequila, Jalisco
2nd of October 1982

Everyone in our family has a musical talent which we are very proud of. However, we were highly disappointed in our son Mario who hadn’t inherited a good ear for music and is awful in playing the instrument he chose. He hadn’t inherited my wife’s wonderful voice as well. He sings horribly. But his teacher has discovered that he’s a mathematical genius. We thank the Virgin of San Juan for our son has a talent.

My sister and I worked playing and singing at the parties. One day we were hired for a beach party. When we arrived there, first we thought if was a masquerade party. But then we realized those were real skeletons dancing around, and there was the Devil himself playing the bongo. When they got distracted, my sister and I slipped away. We thank the Virgin of Guadalupe because they didn’t follow us and because they’d paid us in advance.

When my husband went to work at the north, I felt very lonely. So the evenings, I started to play guitar and sing outside. Little by little my music attracted all the cats from our neighborhood. They were captivated by my music. I thank the Virgin of Zapopan for this big company I have now.

When I play my violin everything around me fade away. I remain alone with the music, we’re in another world. I thank the Virgin of the Rosary for this gift to bring out wonderful sound from a piece of wood with strings.