In Mexico and across Latin America, and Australia, a quinceañera is a celebration of turning fifteen. It’s usually a party, usually for a girl and you might have seen a version of one in Jane the Virgin, One Day at a Time, or even Sweet 15: Quinceañera. But there’s much more to this tradition than just pastel dresses and high heels. Though there are those, too.

Doctor Gabriela Coronado is a Mexican-Australian anthropologist whose areas include the intercultural complexities of cultures. She’s been to a few quinces.

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Las Rosas launches September 29th on YouTube. Follow the show on Instagram, or join them at Casula Powerhouse for the series launch on October 6th.

Adam Taub’s excellent documentary, La Quinceañera, follows one young girl and her family preparing for her quinceañera in Tijuana, Mexico. You can watch it online.

Songs from Quinceañeras:
La Cabezona — Cumbiamuffin
Son Huini — Los Hermanos Rios
Te Recuerdo Amanda — Victor Jara
La Negra Tomasa — Caifanes
Sobre Las Olas — Juventino Rosas, performed by Alondra de la Parra & Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas
Sin Un Amor — Los Panchos
La Resistencia — Nahuatl Sound System
La Petenera — Colectivo Moyolo
El Cascabel — Waiting for Guiness

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