The Death of a Mexican Musician – Heber Rasgado

Heber Rasgado died last week in Mexico City. Probably few El Pasoans or Juarenses knew him, but Heber was one of the finest musicians in southern Mexico. He was about 45 years old and still in his musical prime. I believe he died from health problems related to chronic smoking. Perhaps he smoked excessively to cope with the pressures of his constant performances.

Heber was a dear friend of mine. He was also a close friend of Juan Sandoval, El Paso’s great art collector and Mexico-phile. Heber performed traditional Zapotec music at a cultural event at the UTEP Centennial Museum in the early 1990s. He also played “Neguepe,” a Zapotec translation of Lennon’s Yesterday. Heber was a gifted cosmopolitan performer who interpreted folk tunes and modern styles with equal verve and polish. His soulful voice was known throughout the restaurants, cantinas and musical venues of Juchitán, Oaxaca City, and other concert sites in southern Mexico, Germany, Japan and the U.S. In July 2007 Heber headlined a musical program I organized for the National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute in Mexico, a group of 25 U.S. professors learning about Mexican culture.”*

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