José Cuéllar: Ocarinas through Time and Sound
Ocarinas: Sound, Acoustics, and Cultural Context
José “Dr. Loco” Cuéllar served as a Hrdy Fellow at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology at Harvard University in 2012, where his research on Mesoamerican ocarinas fostered a public listening experience centered on ancient sound traditions. The Hrdy Fellowship program supports artists and scholars whose work bridges anthropology, material culture, and public-facing scholarship.
Cuéllar’s engagement with clay ocarinas, whistles, and flutes from Mexico and Central America combines research, performance, and cultural interpretation. Approaching these instruments not just as a scholar, but as a musician as well, he examines the sounds of these instruments in relation to their historical and ceremonial contexts, treating sound as a vital dimension of Mesoamerican knowledge systems.
Rather than treating ancient instruments as static and silent artifacts, Cuéllar brings them into dialogue with the present through performance. His work invites audiences to imagine how sound once moved through temples, plazas, and domestic spaces—shaping ritual, communication, and everyday experience. In this way, music becomes a bridge between archaeological remains and lived cultural memory.
Ocarinas and whistles occupy a unique place in Mesoamerican traditions. Despite their small size, their wide expressive range allows them to convey not only rhythm and melody, but also a deep connection to forms of spirituality rooted in ancient Indigenous contexts. Cuéllar’s research emphasizes that these instruments were not merely decorative objects, but active participants in the social and spiritual life of Indigenous communities in the past.
Within the framework of the Moses Mesoamerican Archive & Research Project, these instruments underscore the importance of sound as an archival form. Sound, in this context, functions as a living archive—one that continues to resonate through contemporary practice.
Listen to an Audio Recording of Dr. Cuéllar playing the Ocarina:
Courtesy of the Moses Mesoamerican Archive & Research Project.
Watch Dr. Cuéllar in Action
"Breathing Life into an Ancient Instrument" offers insight into Dr. Cuéllar’s performance practice and interpretive approach. This video was recorded in conjunction with Ocarinas of the Americas: Music Made in Clay, an exhibition that opened on October 3, 2015. Courtesy of the artist and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, Harvard University.
Further Reading:
For additional context on Dr. Cuéllar's work with the ocarinas, we recommend the following featured articles:
- “They Needed to Be Heard”, (Harvard Divinity Bulletin). An exploration of how sound and voice operate in ritual and scholarship at the intersections of religion, culture, and history.
https://bulletin.hds.harvard.edu/they-needed-to-be-heard/ - “Ocarinas of the Americas: Music Made in Clay” (Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, Harvard University). An interpretive essay on the history, craftsmanship, and cultural roles of clay ocarinas across the ancient Americas. https://peabody.harvard.edu/OE-ocarinas-americas
“Mesoamerican Notes: Ocarinas at the Peabody” (Harvard Magazine). A feature on the Peabody Museum’s collection of Mesoamerican ocarinas and José Cuéllar’s role in restoring their sound and significance. https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2016/02/mesoamerican-notes