By Adrian Martinez and Rachel Murphree
To enchant a love interest or to accompany marriage. To s how gratitude or to ask for forgiveness. To celebrate a birth or to mourn the dead.
Image caption: Mariachi Femenil Flores Mexicanas (Photo courtesy of Lilly Sanchez)
Mariachis will serenade for just about any occasion you can think of. In some of El Paso's most popular Mexican restaurants, you can hear them sing in elaborately tailored suits, and with booming voices and loud gritos, for nothing beats mariachis when enlivening a hearty meal.
But who are mariachis, and why is their music so universally loved?
As Mexican as tequila and el Día de los Muertos, mariachis are musical groups with three or more musicians who play a range of instruments that include violins, guitars, basses, vihuelas (rounded, five-stringed guitars), and trumpets, each instrument contributing to the unique sound of mariachi. The musicians are fronted by one or more singers and all of them wear the charro suit, a beautiful testament to Mexico's cultural essence. It consists of tight pants -- or a full-length skirt for women -- and short jackets, bow ties, and often wide-brimmed sombreros. Silver or gold buttons and handmade patterns enrich the outfit, and the more elaborate, the more expensive, stated the Mexican newspaper Informador. No charro suit complements two mariachis; each one is personalized to the wearer’s size and style.
"To wear a charro suit is to wear Mexico," said Lucio Díaz Ugalde, distinguished as one of the best charro tailors in the Mexican state of Jalisco. It is there, in the city of Cocula, where mariachi music was born.
According to writer Jonathan D. Clark, it all began when European professional musicians arrived in Mexico in 1519. Seeing that the natives had their own “highly developed musical traditions,” the colonizers introduced their religious ideas with songs and music, something the natives already knew well. Native and foreign music gave birth to new musical styles, including mariachi music, which today still varies within regions. In the past, mariachis wore work clothes and were largely rural, but after the Revolution of 1910, the charro suit started becoming the norm and the nation saw mariachis as something to be proud of. With the evolution of media during the 1930s, the urbanized mariachi won international recognition and rose over its rural roots.
Mariachi music is now popular through Mexico and the Southwest United States, but you can find groups as far away as Japan, South Africa, or even Egypt. After all, mariachi is “the only music the whole world listens to,” said Heriberto “El Cura” Molina, former soloist of 30 years with Mariachi Vargas, known as the most influential mariachi group. Molina said he had the pleasure of bringing mariachi music to all the capitals of the world, an incredible task that highlights mariachi as an irreplaceable part of Mexican culture. In further proof of this, in 2011 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) put mariachi on its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.
Image caption: Mariachi Alegre (Photo courtesy of Enrique Aragon)
You don’t have to go too far to find sensational mariachis. In El Paso, we have many groups to choose from! One is Mariachi Femenil Flores Mexicanas, a mariachi of 15 strong, admirable women whose emotional voices bring the public to tears. Las Flores shared the stage with Mariachi Vargas and Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano -- the most famous U.S. mariachi, and with Grammy winners Juan Gabriel and José José, among many others. As stated in their official webpage, Flores Mexicanas donate their time to church functions and city celebrations, making them “actively involved in their hometown community.” The director, Lorena Liliana Sánchez, gives classes in a small music academy, teaching children the fascinating way of the mariachi.
We also have Mariachi Alegre, one of El Paso's favorites. This youthful, caring and professional mariachi has a wide range of songs in its repertoire, making it a great choice for any occasion. In 2020, when El Pasoans came together to mourn those who were lost in the shooting at Cielo Vista Walmart, Mariachi Alegre performed “Amor Eterno,” a song that united our community in grief -- a song to say goodbye to the lives lost. Formed mostly by university graduates, Mariachi Alegre encourages people to start and finish their education, which they themselves did while performing to the best of their abilities.
Then there’s Mariachi los Galleros, who call themselves “El Paso’s most traditional mariachi.” This is an earned title for their experience, hundreds of songs in knowledge, and a precise yet emotional play that takes you away from the rest of the world. This is especially true for their splendid violinists. Want a specific song? Ask for it -- most chances are Los Galleros know it!
May and June, the peak season for mariachis, motivated mariachis throughout the city to work safely despite Covid-19. The El Paso Times stated that Mariachi Estrella, for example, charmed its clients with sidewalk serenatas and played in front of houses, in yards, and even a parking lot, while Mariachi Tapatío kept the celebrations going with virtual performances via Zoom. All in all, mariachis are married to creativity and will always know how to adapt during hard times.
Like family, mariachi music accompanies through life’s best and worst. So, whatever the occasion is, give one of these groups a call – you won’t regret it!
Handbook of Texas Music by 