Editing Sonora (section)

==Culture==
The most prolific art of the state is literature, which includes poetry, novels, plays and essays. To promote the state's talent, the state government sponsors a number of literary competitions, the most prestigious of which is the Libro de Sonora. It also sponsors scholarships to universities and other institutions. Important contemporary writers from the state include poet and playwright [[Abigael Bohórquez]], novelist [[Gerardo Cornejo Murrieta]], writer and musician [[Armando Zamora]], writer and literary critic [[Ignacio Mondaca Romero]], narrator [[César Gándara]], essayist and journalist [[Eve Gil]], short story and novel writer [[Sylvia Aguilar Zéleny]] and poet and novelist [[Iván Figueroa]].<ref name="rincones1317">Gonzalez, pp. 13–17</ref>

Eminent painters include [[Manuel Romo Rodríguez]], [[Héctor Martínez Arteche]] and [[Mario Moreno Zazueta]].<ref name="rincones1920">Gonzalez, pp. 19–20</ref>

The major indigenous dances include the Deer Dance, the Pascola and the [[Matachines]], which is mostly performed in [[Huatabampo]].<ref name="atraccul">{{cite web |url=http://www.e-local.gob.mx/wb2/ELOCAL/EMM_sonora |title=Atractivos Culturales y Turísticos |year=2010 |work=Enciclopedia de Los Municipios y Delegaciones de México Estado de Sonora |publisher=Instituto para el Federalismo y el Desarrollo Municipal |location=Mexico |language=es |trans-title=Cultural and Tourist Attractions |access-date=February 15, 2011 |archive-date=December 1, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201232501/http://www.e-local.gob.mx/wb2/ELOCAL/EMM_sonora }}</ref> Herbal medicine is still widely practiced, especially in rural areas.<ref name="rincones28">Gonzalez, p. 28</ref>

Musicians include waltz composer [[Rodolfo Campodónico]], opera singer [[Alfonso Ortiz Tirado]], [[Arturo Márquez]] and classical music composer [[Pedro Vega Granillo]]. And most prominently "El Gallo De Oro" [[Valentin Elizalde Valencia]]<ref name="rincones2123">Gonzalez, pp. 21–23</ref>

The Orquesta Filharmonica de Sonora ([[Sonora Philharmonic Orchestra]]) is a state-sponsored institution that offers concerts in all of the entity's major cities. Since its creation, it has been accompanied by artists such as [[Olivia Gorra]], [[Carlos Prieto (cellist)|Carlos Prieto]], [[Martha Félix]], [[Felipe Chacón]] and [[Fernando de la Mora (tenor)|Fernando de la Mora]]. It has also participated in numerous events such as the 23rd anniversary of [[Radio Sonora]], the Noche de Arte at the [[ITESM]] Sonora campus, the [[Festival Tetabiakte]] and the [[Alfonso Ortiz Tirado|Dr. Alfonso Ortiz]] Festival. There is also an organization for minors called the Orquesta Juvenil de Sonora.<ref name="orquestasonora">{{cite web |url= http://www.isc.gob.mx/acerca-isc/grupos-artisticos/orquesta-filarmonica.htm |title= Orquesta Filarmónica de Sonora |publisher= Instituto Sonorense de Cultura |location= Sonora Mexico |language= es |trans-title= Philharmonic Orchestra of Sonora |access-date= February 15, 2011 |archive-date= February 4, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110204231220/http://isc.gob.mx/acerca-isc/grupos-artisticos/orquesta-filarmonica.htm }}</ref>

The most important museums in the state are the [[Museo de Sonora]], the [[Museo Costumbrista de Sonora]], [[Museo Étnico de los Yaquis]], [[Museo Étnico de los Seris]], [[Museo de la Lucha Obrera]], [[Museo de la Casa del General]] and the [[Museo del Niño la Burbuja]], which are visited by over 180,000 people per year.<ref name="atraccul"/>

Since colonial times, much of the economy of the state has traditionally been linked to livestock, especially cattle, with ''vaqueros'', or cowboys, being an important part of the state's identity. Today, most are employed in industry and tourism, but the dress and folklore of the ''vaquero'' is still important. Jeans and cowboy hats are still extremely popular, especially with men. The cowboy lifestyle is associated with the [[pickup truck]]. This influence extends into popular music.<ref name="rincones2728"/><ref name="jamison9">{{cite book |title=The Border Cookbook |url=https://archive.org/details/bordercookbookau00jami |url-access=registration |last=Jamison |first=Cheryl Alters |author2=Bill Jamison  |year=1995 |publisher=The Harvard Common Press |location=Boston, MA |isbn=1-55832-102-0 |page=[https://archive.org/details/bordercookbookau00jami/page/9 9]}}</ref>

The most popular musical styles of the area is ''[[Norteño (music)|norteño]]'' ("northern"), which includes [[Banda music|Banda]].<ref name="atraccul"/> ''norteño'' music developed from the late 19th until the beginning of the 20th century, all along the borderlands of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, with the influence of [[waltz]], [[polka]]s, [[mazurka]]s and [[corrido]]s. One important instrument for the genre is the [[accordion]], introduced to the area by German immigrants.<ref name="conjunto">{{cite web |url= http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/migrations/bord/txmxcon.html |title= The Texas-Mexican Conjunto |first=Manuel |last=Pena |work= Borders and Identity |publisher= Smithsonian Institution |location=Washington, DC |access-date=February 15, 2011}}</ref> Sonoran versions of this music developed from the 1920s to the 1960s. Many of the best known early works have anonymous composers. In the 1950s, with the widespread use of radio, the popularity of the genre rose as the ''norteño'' music of [[Nuevo León]], [[Durango]] and other states were heard. These versions often included music written by Sonoran composers such as Amor de Madre by Jesús "El Chito" Peralta, Cuatro Milpas, Mundo Engañoso, El Venadito, La Higuerita and El Tarachi by Aristeo Silvas Antúnez and La Barca de Guaymas by José López Portillo. The music especially resonated with youth which worked in fields and on ranches.<ref name="andrade">{{cite web |url= http://www.iesa.gob.mx/sonarida/22/musica-sonorense.htm |title= Sonoran Folk Music and Its Expression in the "Norteño" Musical Genre |first= Juan |last= Lucero Andrade |publisher= Secretaria de Educacion y Cultura Government of Sonora Instituto de Educaciòn Sonora-Arizona |location= Mexico |language= en, es |access-date= February 15, 2011 |archive-date= May 16, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110516111144/http://www.iesa.gob.mx/sonarida/22/musica-sonorense.htm }}</ref>

The first formal ''norteño'' group from Sonora was [[Los Cuatreros de Sonora]], formed by the Carvajal brothers. In contrast to bands from other states, which were duets, Sonoran bands were trios before becoming quartets and quintets with the addition of more musical instruments. Lyrics most often deal with the important moments of everyday life which are celebrated and embellished. Only recently has ''norteño'' music been accepted by social classes outside those with which it developed. ''Norteño'' groups of Sonora, often referred to as ''taca-tacas'', can now be heard at social events at all socioeconomic levels.<ref name="andrade"/>

===Archeology===
[[File:Cerro de Trincheras.jpg|thumb|Cerro de Trincheras]]
The region has been an area of study for archeologists, anthropologists and historians, who have worked on [[pre-Columbian era|prehispanic]] ruins and fossilized bones.<ref name="turhistoria"/> However, much of the research in this area is still in its initial descriptive stage with many basic questions still unanswered. Sonora is considered a cultural zone separate from [[Mesoamerica]], although there may have been some Mesoamerican influence. The major differences between Sonoran cultures and Mesoamerica include dry climate farming, although the same basics of corn, squash and beans are produced. There is also a heavier reliance on wild resources. More important was the lack of true cities during this area's prehispanic history, with small settlements clustered around water sources and weak hierarchical systems. The cultures here also share some traits with those of the United States Southwest, but are distinct from these as well.<ref name="gorenstein241242">Foster, pp. 241–242</ref>

The [[Cerro de Trincheras]] ("Trench Hill") is an archeological site, with [[petroglyph]]s, plazas and astronomical observatories. The exact purpose of the area has been disputed, but the area reached its height between 1300 and 1450 CE, when it had a population of about 1,000, which made its living growing corn, squash, cotton and [[agave]]. Its largest structure is called La Cancha ("The Ballcourt"), which is at the base of the north side of the hill. It is a rectangular patio marked by rocks piled on its edges, measuring {{convert|51|by|13|m|ft}}. Some researchers believe it was some kind of [[Mesoamerican ballcourt|ball court]] and others believe it was a kind of open-air theater. On the hill itself is an observatory, which gives views of the area. Most of the area's artifacts of stone and shell were found here. The Plaza de Caracol (Snail Plaza) is marked by a meter and a half high stone wall in an open spiral, most likely used for ceremonies.<ref name="mexdesholbox">{{cite periodical |date=March 2010 |title= La Trinchera de los Dioses |trans-title=The Trench of the Gods |periodical=Mexico Desconocido |pages=82–87 |location=Mexico City |publisher= Impresiones Aereas SA de CV |issn=1870-9397 |language=es}}</ref>

===Gastronomy===
[[File:IMG 0558-746804.jpg|thumb|A ''sobaquera'' tortilla, a large flour tortilla traditional in Sonora]]
As in other parts of Mexico, Sonoran cuisine is basically a mixture of indigenous and Spanish influences. When the Spaniards moved north from the Mexico City area, they found that the diet of the area was simpler, with the basics of corn, beans and squash, but without the further variety as existed in the lusher south. The Spaniards had a great impact on the diet of the region. They brought European staples of wheat, beef, dairy products, pork and more, as well as dishes and ingredients from the center and south of Mexico, such as [[tortilla]]s, more varieties of [[chile pepper]]s and [[tamale]]s.<ref name="jamison46">{{cite book |title=The Border Cookbook |url=https://archive.org/details/bordercookbookau00jami |url-access=registration |last=Jamison |first=Cheryl Alters |author2=Bill Jamison  |year=1995 |publisher=The Harvard Common Press |location=Boston, MA |isbn=1-55832-102-0 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/bordercookbookau00jami/page/4 4–6]}}</ref> The cowboy/''vaquero'' culture has been an important aspect of Sonora's culture since the colonial period and much of the cuisine is based on what cowboys ate on the range, even though most Sonorans no longer work outdoors.<ref name="jamison9"/> Sonoran cuisine is not limited to the present state. Arizona, especially in southern border area, has a cuisine that is also heavy on wheat, cheese and beef introduced by the Spaniards, back when the area was part of Sonora. Both states continue the cowboy tradition.<ref name="griffith"/> Because Sonora is a border state, its cuisine has received significant influence from the United States as well.<ref name="jamison46"/>

Two important staples in the diet are [[seafood]] and beef, the latter playing a larger role in the cuisine of Sonora than in the rest of Mexico. Beef is often cooked over an open flame, and Sonorans prefer robust cuts such as [[brisket]] and [[skirt steak]]. [[Machaca]], or ''[[carne seca]]'', is still enjoyed, although refrigeration has eliminated the need to dry meat. Sonora also has a reputation for producing fine cuts of beef, but the lean Spanish cattle of the colonial period have been replaced by [[American Angus|Angus]], [[Hereford (cattle)|Herefords]] and [[Holstein cattle|Holsteins]]. Dishes based on or usually containing beef include ''carne desebrada'', ''carne con rajas verdes'', [[burrito]]s, ''carne con chile colorado'', beef ''[[chorizo]]'', ''carne seca'', machaca, ''menudo'', ''gorditas'' and meatballs.<ref name="carnesgob">{{cite web |url=http://www.sonoraturismo.gob.mx/conoce-sonora/cocina-regional-en-sonora/guisos-con-carne/ |title=Las carnes de Sonora |publisher=Government of Sonora |location=Sonora Mexico |language=es |trans-title=The meats of Sonora |access-date=February 15, 2011 |archive-date=December 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101226094545/http://www.sonoraturismo.gob.mx/conoce-sonora/cocina-regional-en-sonora/guisos-con-carne/ }}</ref><ref name="jamison1011">{{cite book |title=The Border Cookbook |url=https://archive.org/details/bordercookbookau00jami |url-access=registration |last=Jamison |first=Cheryl Alters |author2=Bill Jamison  |year=1995 |publisher=The Harvard Common Press |location=Boston, MA |isbn=1-55832-102-0 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/bordercookbookau00jami/page/10 10–11]}}</ref> Seafood is an important staple, especially along the coast as there is a large variety of fish and shellfish in the Gulf of California. Seafood is generally cooked in very simple dishes, such as fish tacos, seafood soups, rice with shrimp or squid and shrimp meatballs. Favored fish include [[comber (fish)|cabrilla]], [[flounder]], [[marlin]], [[sardines]], manta rays and various types of jacks.<ref name="mariscos">{{cite web |url=http://www.sonoraturismo.gob.mx/conoce-sonora/cocina-regional-en-sonora/mariscos/ |title=Los mariscos en la cocina sonorense |publisher=Government of Sonora |location=Sonora Mexico |language=es |trans-title=Seafood in Sonoran cooking |access-date=February 15, 2011 |archive-date=December 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227173335/http://www.sonoraturismo.gob.mx/conoce-sonora/cocina-regional-en-sonora/mariscos/ }}</ref>
[[File:Parrillada Carne asada.jpg|thumb|Grilling carne asada]]
Tortillas are the base of the diet, but they are made from wheat, rather than corn. In Sonora, these tortillas are much larger than those prepared elsewhere and paper thin. Dairy products are common in dishes with chile peppers playing a smaller role.<ref name="jamison1011"/> However, one important native chile pepper is the ''chiltepín'' (''[[Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum]]''), which people continue to harvest wild in the mountains of northwestern Mexico. In a dry year, about {{Convert|20|t|lb}} can be harvested in Sonora, with as much as {{Convert|50|t|lb}} during a wet year.<ref name="cartron66">Cartron, p. 66</ref>

The cuisine contains a number of soups and stews, which combine native ingredients with Mexico-wide staples of beef, pork and corn. Seafood soups are popular along the coast. These dishes include ''pozole de trigo'', ''pozole de res'', ''menudo con pata'', ''verdolagas'' (''[[Portulaca oleracea]]'') broth, ''sopa de elote'', ''caldo de calabazas'' and ''sopa de camarón''.<ref name="caldossopas">{{cite web |url=http://www.sonoraturismo.gob.mx/conoce-sonora/cocina-regional-en-sonora/caldos-y-sopas/ |title=Los caldos y sopas |publisher=Government of Sonora |location=Sonora Mexico |language=es |trans-title=Broths and soups |access-date=February 15, 2011 |archive-date=December 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101226093620/http://www.sonoraturismo.gob.mx/conoce-sonora/cocina-regional-en-sonora/caldos-y-sopas/ }}</ref> Tamales are made with cornmeal dough and fillings such as beans, vegetables, potatoes, ''chile colorado'' and other ingredients, wrapped in dried corn husks and steamed. Tamale fillings vary in the state but the most popular include fresh corn with cream, green chile strips with cheese, beef with ''chile colorado'' and seafood.<ref name="tamalesgob">{{cite web |url=http://www.sonoraturismo.gob.mx/conoce-sonora/cocina-regional-en-sonora/tamales/ |title=Los tamales sonorenses |publisher=Government of Sonora |location=Sonora Mexico |language=es |trans-title=Sonoran tamales |access-date=February 15, 2011 |archive-date=December 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101226095722/http://www.sonoraturismo.gob.mx/conoce-sonora/cocina-regional-en-sonora/tamales/ }}</ref>

The various cultures that have come through the state have influenced the development of breads, desserts and sweets. Most sweets are made from cow's milk, sugar cane, peanuts, rice, nuts, sesame seeds and [[piloncillo]]. These include ''pipitoria'', ''jamoncillo'', ''cubierto de viznaga'', ''cubiertos de calabaza'', ''cubiertos de camote'', squash in honey, ''piloncillo'', ''pitahaya'' ice cream, crystallized oranges and limes, cakes made from corn and rice pudding.<ref name="dulcesgob">{{cite web |url=http://www.sonoraturismo.gob.mx/conoce-sonora/cocina-regional-en-sonora/postres/ |title=Pan, dulces, postres sonorenses |publisher=Government of Sonora |location=Sonora Mexico |language=es |trans-title=Sonoran bread, sweets and desserts |access-date=February 15, 2011 |archive-date=December 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227173339/http://www.sonoraturismo.gob.mx/conoce-sonora/cocina-regional-en-sonora/postres/ }}</ref>

Bacanora is a local liquor that has been made for decades in the town of the same name, located in the center of the state. Its base is an agave plant (''[[agave lechuguilla]]'' or ''[[agave angustifolia]]'') like [[mezcal]] and [[tequila]], and it comes in various styles including aged. It has a distinct flavor.<ref name="bebidasgob"/><ref name="rincones51">Gonzalez, p. 51</ref> It is estimated that half a million plants are harvested from the wilds to make this beverage each year, leading to concerns of overexploitation.<ref name="cartron65">Cartron, p. 65</ref>