Rising Stars: Meet Rick Vigil

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Rick Vigil.

Hi Rick, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello, I’m Rick Vigil, a Colorado native who is currently residing in Golden, Colorado. I am the co-owner and film producer of Down To Earth Media, LLC. My goal over the past twenty years has been to produce a collection of film documentaries entitled “A Story To Tell” which document the language, culture, spirituality, and traditions of the Spanish-speaking communities living within the counties of Conejos and Costilla over a long period of time in the San Luis Valley.

The Antonito Opera House was built in the early 1900s and later converted into a nightclub. Upon relocating to Antonito in 1956, my parents opened a nightclub and restaurant where a number of local and famous bands performed, such as the Al Hurricane band, Purple Haze, and Roberto Griego, along with others from the New Mexico region at that time.

As a result of being in business for quite some time, my parents decided it would be a good idea to put together a group with my brothers and sisters called Los Vigilantes, where we played a variety of Spanish and English music that was both popular and original.

Eventually, the group was able to travel to New Mexico and set up a number of recording sessions at recording studios in Albuquerque in order to capture a variety of Spanish and English music that would be incorporated into their live performances during the time period. As time went on, we decided to focus more on the original music we were creating in English and Spanish.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Being raised in a nightclub and restaurant environment, many of my musical influences came from the community musicians who played music that was passed down from one generation to the next by their ancestors. The culture of learning music by ear and playing in school bands has been a tradition in our community for a long time. As a guitarist, my professional musical training was limited as a result of the availability of qualified guitar instructors in my area.

Though it was a challenge and obstacle at the same time, it also provided motivation for creative thinking, as well as a process of uniqueness to think outside the box, which was what changed everything. The language in which music, when it is coming from the heart, carries its own power and carries the potential to get someone moving, speaks to its own language of its own.

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

Film documentaries in the classroom can be an excellent way to convey long life wisdom to future generations. Using oral histories in a learning environment can be an extremely valuable resource with a great deal of educational value that can be a great help in the learning process.

The general public together with educational institutions (Universities and Libraries) must invest more aggressively in acquiring these types of materials, whether in books, art or film. Each and every one of us has a responsibility to make sure the oral history of our elders is preserved, and it is our responsibility to demand it. “Our Elders are like books and when they die so do their stories”.

As a creative person, I am a person who enjoys the process of creating differently from other people. There is nothing more enjoyable than the creative process. Making music or filming documentaries can be challenging and rewarding. One of the most beautiful aspects of the work I am doing right now is that I have total creative control over the final product.

The opportunity to document the history of the communities I grew up in, document the oral stories of those communities, and create local and authentic music as part of the entire project is something that no one can take away from me. There is nothing better than being able to trace my roots back to the history, culture, and traditions of the communities I come from, which is nothing short of amazing.

A documentary film that I am marketing is my fifth documentary film, Cenicero, Co _ 1856, which I have recently completed. The Cenicero _ Circa 1856 film documentary presents a fascinating look at the history, culture, and traditions of the Spanish-speaking community in the San Luis Valley.

The documentary Cenicero tells the story of Hope’s ancestry and its role in the formation of Colorado as a state. Hope Gallegos’ story is amazing, and I’m thrilled to share it with you. Although she’s 93, she’s still alive and doing well. I think history enthusiasts would find this interesting since there are still communities practicing the traditions, cultures, and spirituality of their ancestors in the San Luis Valley.

Cenicero, Co _ Circa 1856
https://downtoearthmedia.org/films.html

The preservation of our history depends on you!

What matters most to you? Why?
There is nothing more important than honesty, integrity, and professionalism when it comes to business. I consider these to be crucial because that is what I try to accomplish in my work.

Pricing:

• Personal Use $35.00
• Non-Profit Use $50.00
• University Use $200

Contact Info:

• Website: https://downtoearthmedia.org
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065713863846
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@downtoearthmedia08

Image Credits
Down to Earth Media