The community of Yuguelito is located in the heart of the Mexico City district of Iztapalapa on a site that had previously been used as the repository of rubble from Mexico’s 1985 earthquake.
In 2008 the site was settled. 1000 families now live in the community, although the exact number of inhabitants is unknown. Like many communities in the eastern part of Mexico city, Yuguelito is informal — autonomous — and for that reason it is in many respects self-governing, taking internal responsibility for virtually all services.
In a 2013 survey conducted through the School of Social Work at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, residents were asked to identify the initiative they would most like to see in Yuguelito, and a majority chose music. Music, many argued, would be a powerful to confront the many challenges – particularly for young people – endemic to life in Yuguelito. It bears repeating: amidst such economic duress, the residents of Yuguelito chose music.
