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“One must be strong, courageous and work really hard to prove that nothing which has been said about Mexicans is true”, this is how Lila Downs refers to the president-elect of the U.S. win during the presentation of the 10th edition of Art Mezcal, in Mexico City.
This is a special edition of the Oaxacan distilled drink created by “Los Danzantes” Distillery, an artisan Oaxacan company, and who earmarks a percentage Art Mezcal’s profit to the Guadalupe Musalem Fund that supports the education of girls in Oaxaca.
Downs said that with the efforts of the Guadalupe Musalem Fund “Young women are empowered to grow both intellectually and emotionally, while having the international academic world at their hand that is provided through scholarships to study abroad”.
This initiative saw the light ten years ago to preserve the image of the state of Oaxaca and has been responsible for providing one-hundred and fifty-two scholarships to girls, both at a senior high-school and university level, who lack the resources and have different ambitions to getting married or having children.
“Mezcal in my homeland of Oaxaca is an elixir that can bring out the angel or the demon inside you […] I gave a lot of thinking to this sponsorship, for the negative association that can be made between young women education and mezcal, however, I think we are living in the face of an historical moment with our northern neighbor and that I can show the love for my country, for our traditions, for our future and for the young women in indigenous and mestizo communities in Mexico”.
Art Mezcal is made from a limited type of “arroqueño” agave from Oaxaca, hence the launch of a 1,400 limited edition which can be accompanied by an engraving artist’s book produced by plastic artist Humberto Valdéz with texts by Lilia Downs. The books sales are intended to fund the creation and equipping of an engraving workshop in the state of Zacatecas.
