In the early 1990s, Joseph Julián González was driving from Los Angeles to California’s Central Valley, where his family is from, when he suddenly began hearing music unlike anything he had ever heard.
“I heard the ‘Kyrie’ from the Latin Roman High Mass,” González recalled, “but I heard it being played to an Aztec dance rhythm. I heard the whole thing with choir and full orchestra, and I thought somebody must have written this piece before.”
Then it hit him.
“I thought, ‘Wait a minute. I think I’m being inspired right now,’ ” he said with a laugh. González recalled being so excited that he didn’t notice he was driving 96 mph, and the California Highway Patrol pulled him over.
The speeding ticket was worth it.
“I’ve been a professional composer for 30 years working in film and television, and never have I had a fully fledged piece just being downloaded into my brain,” González said. “I really do feel it came from heaven. Absolutely.”
More than 30 years later, González’s fully realized inspiration, “Misa Azteca” (“Aztec Mass”), came to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on June 27, a performance of music and dance that combined elements of the Catholic Mass with Nahua poetry, indigenous instruments, and a contemporary orchestra. Conducted by José Delgadillo, the production brought together the Cathedral Choirs, chamber orchestra and operatic soloists Dalia Rosibel, Delia Rios, and Joey Molina.
Before a single note of “Misa Azteca” was played or sung, dancers from the Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company, dressed in colorful feathered regalia, processed through the cathedral in a ceremonial entrance that blended movement, music, and prayer. Moments later, performers from the Latino Theater Company brought the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe to life, setting the stage for an evening that explored the meeting of Catholic faith and Mexico’s indigenous heritage.
A series of traditional performances followed, including “Danza Azteca,” “Los Misioneros,” “La Aparición,” “La Procesión,” “El Homenaje,” “Santa María,” “Ruega Por Nosotros,” “Xochipitzahuatl,” “Concheros, and “Huapango,” before leading into the evening’s centerpiece: the eight movements of “Misa Azteca,” from the solemn “Kyrie” chant to the joyful “Ite Missa Est.”
Throughout the performance, the music moved effortlessly between the familiar prayers of the Mass and indigenous rhythms, creating a worship experience that felt both timeless and uniquely rooted in the cultural traditions of Mexico.
González said “Misa Azteca” was born out of his love and devotion for Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose appearance to St. Juan Diego is marking its 495th anniversary this year.
“It’s so beautiful, the way that God really wanted to bring all people, including the indigenous, to himself," González said. “It enriches our knowledge of the Guadalupe event, and it enriches our Catholicism.”
Several audience members said they came because the performance reflected both their faith and their heritage.
“I wanted to experience something that honored both my Catholic faith and my family’s heritage,” said Lupe Guevara of Boyle Heights. “I’ve never heard the Mass presented this way before. It was beautiful because it didn’t feel like two cultures competing with each other — it felt like they belonged together.”
Another attendee, Elena Rocha, said she came out of curiosity but left deeply moved.
“I’ve lived in Los Angeles my whole life, and this reminded me why our city is so special,” she said. “We have so many cultures and traditions here, and tonight showed that our faith can embrace all of them.”
Inés De Casillas of Baldwin Park hoped the cathedral would continue presenting programs that celebrate the diversity of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
“I love that the cathedral is hosting events like this,” De Casillas said. “Los Angeles is made up of people from so many different backgrounds, and our Church reflects that. When we celebrate each other’s traditions, we strengthen our community. ‘Misa Azteca’ reminds us that our diversity isn’t something to overcome — it’s something God gave us to share.”
For González’s wife, Monique, who co-authored the book, “Guadalupe and the Flower World Prophecy,” with him, the evening felt like a homecoming.
“This piece was born here,” she said. “Much of the research happened here in Los Angeles. This is where Joseph and I began studying these ancient song poems, archaeology and anthropology. Bringing it back to the cathedral feels like bringing it home.”
Joseph Julián González said returning to the cathedral carried a personal significance as well.
“I was actually a member of the Spanish Cathedral Choir years ago,” he said. “To come back and hear both the English and Spanish choirs singing this work makes this feel like coming home.”
