The 40th anniversary of the deadly 8.1 earthquake which hit densely populated neighborhoods of Mexico City on September 19, 1985 was commemorated with a free open-air concert of Mozart’s Requiem. The Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Scott Woo, gave a beautiful, moving performance at the ceremony titled, “40 Years, Memory of an Earthquake, When Neighbor Saved Neighbor.” The concert was attended by 5,900 enthusiastic people at the Plaza de Las Tres Culturas and many were waving Palestinian flags.
In addition to the concert, the event, sponsored by the city government, included the “Gran Simulacro” (a practice emergency drill), a dance performance, and a stirring short film from the book September, by Fabrizio Mejia, about his memories of the earthquake and his experiences when he and many other citizens organized themselves into units to rescue others. These rescue teams still exist with more formal training and are called the “Topo Rescue Brigades,” which operate not only in Mexico City, but have been called upon to help other earthquake victims around the world. (Topo means “mole,” the small animal that can tunnel underground and operate in the dark).
The 1985 quake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale was followed by many aftershocks, including a 7.6 quake on the following day. At least 10,000 people were killed and over 250 buildings were completely destroyed. Much of the international press coverage of the disaster recovery efforts included images of many celebrities, including opera tenor Placido Domingo, working to rescue survivors at the Nuevo Leon building where he had family members trapped in the rubble.
As a result of this earthquake, Mexico created the world’s first early warning seismic alert system. Called SASMEX, sensors were placed along fault lines in the Pacific Ocean to activate alarms in populated areas such as Mexico City, and send early warning notifications to cell phones everywhere. This system gives Mexico City residents about 45 seconds to evacuate their homes or workplaces.
Speaking at the ceremony mayor Claudia Brugada, said: “Today we commemorate 40 years since the earthquake that changed everything. We remember it as if it were yesterday, with our hearts in knots, a lump in our throats, and raw pain at the tragic and irreparable loss of human lives. But we also remember the solidarity and civic response, the grassroots social organization, and the community drive that emerged that afternoon from the rubble of the disaster.” She acknowledged the tireless work of the Topos Rescue Brigade. The fact that the government was overwhelmed by the disaster and that it was the citizens who took action was an important part of the discourse at this event.
Despite the hardships, difficulties, and the relentless counterculture, Mexico turned to Mozart’s Requiem to heal the nation and commemorate this anniversary. Baritone soloist Rodrigo Urrutia said, “It’s a tribute to those who have passed away and also to those who rose from the rubble. The Requiem always reminds us that after darkness, light can be found. That is the deepest message: hope.”
