What is Cardenche?

Cardenche is the name of a desert plant very common in this Region. It is also the name of a popular kind of music and singing well known in La Laguna.

The Plant.
Cardenche is a kind of bush, with abundant branches. It can be up to 16.4 feet hight. The trunk is short and ligneus. It has a lot of thorns extended in all directions. Each thorn might be between 0.4 to 1.18 inches.

The flower of cardenche is very colorful, you can see it in purple or pink in the edge of the branches.
Like other plants from the desert, cardenche can be used in several ways. Its dry branches are used as fuel; the fruit is eaten as a vegetable in different dishes, or used as forage in drought seasons. Its trunk is used for furniture and even for medicine purposes, instead of a cast for broken bones. The fruit is also used for coughs and the stem, cleaned and grilled, is used for sores.
It is also known with the name of “cholla” in the state of Chihuahua and “coyonoxtle” in some areas of Durango.

The Song

This kind of singing flourished at the end of the past century until the mid 30’s, a period of time where it was common to find little towns in the south and southeast of La Laguna.
The unique feature of cardenche music is that is performed without any music instruments. Just 3 or 4 voices, with a great dramatic quality interpretation.
And, if there’s any doubt of why the cardenche name, there’s this quote: “The cardenche name was given because of the plant… when its thorns enter our skin, is very painful, but the pain grows when you’re trying to get them out since they are similar to hooks, which tear the skin.