Saturday, July 25, 2009

What is a MARIACHI?


Hello everybody! I am doing a very interesting research on Mariachis and I believe this will become a very interesting article. Here I am sending you an introduction in case you would like to know a bit more about an important part of Mexican Culture.

Andrea Arzaba


WHAT IS A MARIACHI?

Mariachi tradition in Mexico is a very ancient one. There are not a lot of references about them in the past but historians say that the term “mariachi” comes from the words in Nahuatl “Maria ce son”, which was praise for the virgin “María del Río”. The Cocas, descendents from the Nahuas, had a lot of abilities for music. They used to imitate sounds they liked.

The word mariachi refers to the musicians now commonly seen in restaurants or strolling the streets, dressed in silver studded charro outfits with wide brimmed hats playing a variety of instruments which include violins, guitars, basses, vihuelas (a 5 string guitar) and trumpets.
Their songs speak about love, betrayal, death, politics, revolutionary heroes and even animals; one famous song is "La Cucaracha".

Mariachis have evolved in their music. Before they used to improvise their music but nowadays they became experts in classical Mexican music, with an impressive professionalism. The mariachi is the sum of a cultural evolution that has taken place over the last century in Mexico.

And there is no spectacle, wherever it might be, where Mexicans feel not attracted to mariachis, just like one of the most famous songs goes "México lindo y querido/ si muero lejos de ti/ que digan que estoy dormido/ y que me traigan aquí". (Wonderful and beloved Mexico /if I die far away from you/ they should pretend that I am sleeping/ and they better bring me back to you)

I also encourage you to watch some of the next videos which are examples of a real Mexican Mariachi songs:

"Cielito Lindo"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjJDv1IeF8I&feature=related

"Huapangos de Moncayo"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1RWewM74T8&feature=channel_page




This are the sites I used to get more information on Mariachis. I invite you to visit them:

El Mariachi, un Gran Pedazo del Corazón Mexicano (Contacto Magazine) http://www.contactomagazine.com/mariachi.htm

El Mariachi (Terra) http://www.terra.com/ocio/articulo/html/oci59984,7.htm

What is a Mariachi? http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/1875-what-is-the-mariachi

Picture taken from:
http://membership.kmbh.org/donations/images/Mariachi.jpg