The cathedral in Puebla had a distinguished musical tradition, dating from the late sixteenth century.Alice Ray Catalyne, "Music of the Sixteenth to Eighteenth Centuries in the Cathedral of Puebla, Mexico." Yearbook of the Inter-American Institute for Musical Research 2 (1966).Robert M. Stevenson, "Puebla chapelmasters and Organists: sixteenth and seventeenth centuries." Part I. Inter-American Music Review 5:2 (Spring-Summer 1983) and Part 2, Inter-American Music Review 6:1 (Fall 1984). One of the most distinguished musicians was Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla, active as chapel master from 1629 to 1664. His wrote extended and complex works, including polychoral masses as well as villancicos (for the Christmas season). His music shows between others the evidence of New Spain's non-white population in tocotines (Nahua influence) and negrillos and porto ricos (African influence). The cathedral has extant choir books of his compositions. His villancicos "stand as one of the greatest contributions to American music history."Craig H. Russell, "Music: Mesoamerica through seventeenth century", Encyclopedia of Mexico, Michael S. Werner, editor. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers 1997, volume 2, p.977.
