The Leon Takes A Fall

This is the leon (jarocho bass) that I built for the group Los Cenzontles in March of 2003. It is a copy of an instrument found in the mountains of southern Veracruz and restored by Gilberto Gutierrez of Grupo Mono Blanco. The smaller leona is commonly found, but at the time of it's construction, this and the original may have been the only leons around.  This is the story of how my leon met with an accident involving a chair and a musician who shall remain nameless.