The Organ Repair Lady

Listen above to my feature about an old woman in Tepito (near downtown Mexico City) who fixes the antique street organs that are a fixture of life in the Distrito Federal.

After reading in David Lida’s excellent book, First Stop in the New World, about the possible existence of one solitary person in this megalopolis who could tune and repair the squealing music boxes, I decided to hunt for that repairman. 

Turns out it was a repairwoman. And thanks to the deep connections of my partner-in-crime and Tepito expert Myles Estey, she wasn’t all that hard to find. Although most people I know harbor a fierce resentment of the organ grinders and their often awful, out-of-tune “music,” I thought Silvia Hernandez deserved a fair shake. Listen for yourself, check out the photos, and get the earplugs ready, just in case.