Chicago is my Home: The heartbeat of the city beats in so many rhythms.

Chicago is my Home: The heartbeat of the city beats in so many rhythms.

My name is Jaime Garza, and I am a bassist, artist, and producer in the city of Chicago. I am a co-founder of the psychedelic Latin band Dos Santos, I lead Ida y Vuelta, a traditional Mexican folk group specializing in Son Jarocho, and I have my personal musical project, Almafuerte, where I combine folk, jazz, rock, and experiment sonically in an organic way.

I was born in Chicago, and my family and I moved to Mexico for ten years before returning when I was 17. Chicago is my home.

Chicago is a great city in many aspects, including its architecture, Navy Pier, and Lake Shore. The city has first-class museums like the Art Institute, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the DuSable Museum of African American History, and the National Museum of Mexican Art. The city is alive and embraces many cultures from around the world, which can be seen in its food, neighborhoods, and music. The heartbeat of the city beats in so many rhythms.

Our city has four hard seasons, and depending on when you visit, the colors, smells, and sounds differ. Winter is brutal but festive, fall has the prettiest views, but spring and summer are when the city's energy is at its peak. Once spring hits, you can feel the energy and happiness around you as people come out to enjoy the city and all it has to offer.

If you were to describe Chicago's areas, the south is industrial, where the White Sox baseball team plays, and where most of the new hip-hop scene lives. The north is more upper-class with a lively nightlife. The west side has real neighborhoods where musicians, artists, cooks, and taxi drivers live.

The east side of Chicago has no roads; it is Lake Michigan with beautiful views, especially during sunset and sundown. DuSable Lake Shore Drive runs across the entire city, between the lake through the south and north side, passing through downtown with its big shoulders, big city buildings. It is a beautiful view for sure.

Chicago embraces a lot of music and has its own brand of jazz, blues, and folk music from other countries. You can find almost any recorded genre of music if you know where to look. A few spots for music, bars, venues, and cultural centers to look out for, depending on your palate.

One spot I would recommend is the outdoor Maxwell Street market. For over a hundred years, it has been a spot for food, culture, and music. Every Sunday, you can walk the market, which sells everything from lawnmowers to clothing, tools, electronics, and pre-owned objects, and you can also find live blues playing in almost every corner of the market. On some occasions, live mariachi or Mexican folk, banda or dance performances. At Maxwell Street market, you get a small glimpse of Chicago's feel.

Chicago is known for its music and is deeply rooted in Blues and House music. Blues and jazz clubs are a must-visit when in Chicago. The city also has a strong Latino art and music presence, which you can see (and smell) when you visit neighborhoods like Pilsen or Little Village. There are so many music spots to list, but a few must-hits are Old Town School of Folk Music, Martyrs, Fitzgeralds, or Dorian’s. There are also many bars and restaurants that feature DJs and producers creating an ambiance for music lovers.

A few artists that I think you need to listen to from Chicago are BEATS Y BATERIA, a multicultural three-piece band blending dance, Afro-Latin beats with the amazing vocalist Ana Everling from Eastern Europe's Republic of Moldova.?

Secondly, I would like to mention the Sones de Mexico Ensemble, who are not just a band, but a group of folklorists, musicians, and promoters of the Mexican style of Son. I am a huge fan and practitioner of Mexican styles, but Sones de Mexico are the pioneers when it comes to Mexican folk music. They explore most of Mexico's sub-genres, including huapango, son, norte?as, early mariachi ensembles, and Mexican Caribbean music. They have also done some more experimental work, including ancient Aztec pre-Columbian music and collaborations with classical, Irish, blues, jazz, and rock musicians, among many other genres. Their first record, "Que Florezca!", is divided into the four directions and keeps it traditional in every aspect, but "13 Baktun" is a well-grounded experiment. Highly recommended.

Thirdly, I would like to mention a few artists who I believe are at the forefront of Chicago music: Caro Arroba, Bumbac Joe, ESSO Afrojam Funkbeat, Victor Garcia, Valebol, Ben Lamar Gay, Makaya, French Police, Bomba Con Buya, Algoritmo, Jesse Garcia, Lester Rey, Rosalba Valdez, Roy McGrath, Gustavo Corti?as, and many others.

One of my favorite memories in Chicago has been working and performing at the local festival, Mole de Mayo in Pilsen. The fest started as a small culinary block party and has grown into a multi-stage, three-day community festival, where I have had the opportunity to help showcase Latino acts from Chicago and abroad. However, I will never forget performing in front of 3,000 people, including my mom. Yeah, that was the best.