It is hard to imagine that there is a resident of Mexico City who is not familiar with the voice recording employed by nearly all of the city's hawkers of tamales: "Lleve sus ricos y deliciosos tamales oaxaqueños. Ya llegaron sus ricos y deliciosos tamales oaxaqueños. Pida sus tamales calientitos". Few, however, are aware of the identity of this ubiquitous yet enigmatic spokesperson for the tamal.
According to Cynthia Ramírez, the voice is that of former tamalero Elías Zavaleta. Nearly 20 years ago, at the age of 17, he recorded the famous refrain on a tape cassette. Passed around among acquaintances, over time the tape was copied and eventually distributed far beyond Zavaleta's circle of friends.
Today a copy of the tape can be purchased for around 300 pesos. Zavaleta earns no royalties for the use of his voice.
Source: Cynthia Ramírez, "Elías Zavaleta, la voz de los tamales oaxaqueños," Letras Libres, Septiembre 21, 2009 <http://www.letraslibres.com/beta/blogs/elias-zavaleta-la-voz-de-los-tamales-oaxaquenos>
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