South-of-the-border music moves north
To many people in the United States, mariachi is the serenade you get in a Mexican restaurant. But as the number of Mexican Americans grows, this unique musical hybrid is moving beyond restaurants and into the classroom. Schools in California, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and Washington State now offer mariachi programs along with marching bands and jazz ensembles. It's more familiar and relevant to Chicanos, say teachers, and more fun to play.
Mariachi originated in Mexico's Jalisco state in the mid-1800s among singers performing requests while playing guitar, harp, and violin. By the 1920s the music, a blend of Spanish folk songs and indigenous rhythms, was being promoted by the Mexican government to build a sense of national unity. Radio broadcasters called for a "bigger" sound, so bands added more violins, multiple trumpets, and local instruments called the guitarrón (a large, deep-bellied guitar) and vihuela (much smaller). Today's strolling pro has to know hundreds of songs by ear, since tips often depend on fulfilling diners' requests. "Play what people want," says trumpeter Rolando Morales, "or you don't make much money."
Morales helped organize the recent Mariachi Craze festival in El Paso, one of many such events around the country. Some 300 students participated in lessons, seminars, and performances. Not all were of Mexican descent, and not all were school kids. "One guy," says Morales, "already had his Ph.D." —Margaret Zackowitz
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