Mariachi

The origin of the word is disputed, but prominent theories attribute it to deep roots. One states that it comes from the name of the wood used to make the dance platform. Another states that mariachi comes from the indigenous name of a tree called pilla or cirimo; yet another states that it came from an image locally called María H (pronounced Mari-Ache). It is possible to use the terms mariachi and ranchera interchangeably. Although they have different meanings, one can describe mariachi music as ranchera music and vice versa. Mariachi refers to a Mexican folk music tradition within a larger genre called ranchera music (music from the ranch). Mariachi refers to many things: a certain body of repertoire, a musical style, a robust singing style, a solo singer or performer in a charro suit, and/ or an ensemble. The oldest references to mariachi documented are more than 100 certificates of baptisms, burials and marriages in which the Mariachi ranch appears, between 1832 and 1850. It was located near the river Santiago, in Nayarit. The word mariachi was once thought to have derived from the French word ('marriage'), dating from the French intervention in Mexico in the 1860s, related to the music's appearance at weddings. This was a common explanation on record jackets and travel brochures but was disproven with the appearance of documents that showed that the word existed before this invasion: In 1981, a letter written by Catholic priest Cosme Santa Ana to the archbishop in 1852 was discovered in the archives of a church, where he complains about the noise as well as the drinking and gambling antics of the "mariachis," long before the French occupation. ==Origins==

, on display at the Museo de Arte Popular in Mexico City Prior to the arrival of the Spanish, indigenous music in Mexico was played with rattles, drums, flutes, and conch-shell horns as part of religious celebrations. The Spanish introduced violins, guitars, harps, brass instruments, and woodwinds, which mostly replaced native instruments. The Europeans introduced their instruments to use during Mass, but they were quickly adapted to secular events. is "La Negra". Modern mariachi music developed from this son style, with mariachi as an alternative name for son jalisciense. Early mariachi players did not look like those of today; they played only string instruments such as guitars and harps and dressed in typical peasant clothing: white pants and shirts with huarache sandals. Cocula, known as the "Cuna Mundial del Mariachi" ("World Cradle of Mariachi"), commemorates this heritage with a plaza arch bearing that title. The song “De Cocula es el Mariachi," composed by Manuel Esperón (music) and Ernesto Cortázar (lyrics) and popularized by Jorge Negrete, further reinforced Cocula's association with the genre. The Museo de Cocula es el Mariachi, inaugurated on 31 December 2000 in the historic Casa de los Juzgados, exhibits instruments, costumes, and photographs documenting the evolution of mariachi and its role as a symbol of Mexican cultural identity. Mariachi singing was not always part of the church. In 1848, Bishop Cosme wrote a letter to Spain complaining of the mariachis making too much noise outside his church, clarifying that mariachi did not originate in the church. Today, however, mariachi is an important part of Catholic services for life events and holidays from funerals to weddings, including celebrations of the Virgin of Guadalupe on December 12 of each year. The traje de charro outfit was also used in the national Orquestra Típica Mexicana ("Mexican Typical Orchestra"), organized in 1884 by Carlo Curti, and touring the United States and Mexico as part of a presentation of nationalism for the Mexican president Porfirio Diaz. Curti's Orquestra Típica Mexicana has been called the "predecessor of the mariachi bands". Traje de charro is heavily inspired by cowboys and features very symbolic sombreros, tight fitting pants, ruffled shirts, and jackets with heavy embroidery and embellishments throughout all the pieces. After the Mexican Revolution, many haciendas had to let workers go, including mariachis. Groups began to wander and play for a fee, which obliged them to incorporate other music into their repertoires, including waltzes and polkas. It also required them to play in public venues. From the late 19th century to the 1930s, mariachi groups were semi-professional. ==Modern development==

at the Xochimilco canals. The common perception of the music and look of mariachi developed in the 20th century, as the music was transformed from a regional rural folk music to an urban phenomenon that came to represent Mexico. The music was first introduced to Mexico City in 1905. These mariachi musicians developed new practices, such as performances in plazas and restaurants. However, it also continued its more traditional venues such as serenades, and performances at major family events. During this time, the Mexican government was heavily involved in cultural promotion as a way to create a unified Mexican identity after the end of the Mexican Revolution. One of these efforts was the promotion of mariachi as an international symbol of Mexican identity, first with radio and sound recordings and later with films. Mexico built a nationwide radio broadcasting network in the 1920s such as XEB and XEW, which began broadcasting mariachi music as a media production, rather than as a music for social events. This music was already being modified in part due to the advent of sound recording. For example, most son jaliscense songs were longer than the standard three-and-a-half minutes of the then-standard 78 rpm record, forcing the shortening of tunes. Around the same time, the popularity of jazz and Cuban music introduced the trumpet into mariachi, pushing the violins into a secondary role, and in some cases, replacing the harp. In Mexico City, the center of mariachi music remains Garibaldi Plaza. Mariachi musicians fill the plaza to solicit gigs, from individual songs for passers-by to being hired for events such as weddings and baptisms. They even stand on Eje Central in front of the plaza to flag down passing cars. In 2010, the government renovated the plaza to make it more tourist-friendly, adding new paving, gardens, police, security cameras, painted facades, and a museum dedicated to mariachi and tequila. Although mariachis can be hired in Mexico City over the phone or on the internet, many people still prefer to come to the plaza, hear the musicians and haggle over the price. About 2,500 mariachis hold union cards to work in the plaza, but as many as 4,000 may circulate through on a busy weekend. ==Groups==

The size of a mariachi group varies depending on the availability of musicians. Most songs are about machismo, love, betrayal, death, politics, revolutionary heroes and even animals and country life from the genre's origins as rural son music. One particularly famous song is "La Cucaracha" ("The Cockroach"). ==Mariachi Vargas==

(1901–1985), violinist and musician of the Mariachi Vargas from 1921 to 1975, director from 1931 to 1955 Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán is recognized as the oldest mariachi ensemble, founded by Gaspar Vargas in the late 1890s. Mariachi Vargas's first recording was in 1937, the same year they appeared in Asi es mi Tierra. They appeared in over 200 films in the 20th century. Silvestre Vargas took over Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán from his father in 1958 and soon after hired a trained musician, Ruben Fuentes, as musical director. Fuentes along with Vargas were instrumental in the standardization of much of mariachi music, arranging traditional songs and writing new ones that would be performed by many of the legendary performers of the mid-20th century, such as Pedro Infante, Miguel Aceves Mejía, Lola Beltrán and José Alfredo Jiménez. ==United States and further afield==

and Laura Bush at the White House with Mariachi Campanas de América Regional Mexican radio stations in the United States include mariachi music in their programming. The most popular Latin music format in the US, the music style is well recognized throughout the country. The United States military has an official mariachi band in the New Mexico National Guard, called Mariachi Nuevo México; this pays homage to the state of New Mexico's Hispano and Mexican-American heritage. is an all-female Mariachi based in Los Angeles, California, founded in 1999 by Cindy Shea. In 2009, they became the first all-female mariachi nominated for a Grammy Award, and the first to win one. As of 2014, the mariachi has been nominated for five Grammy awards, winning twice. They are the official Mariachi of the Disneyland resort. The promotion of mariachi as representative of Mexico has led to the formation of mariachi groups in many countries such as Argentina, Aruba, Egypt, Chile, Cuba, Spain, Guatemala, Uruguay, Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, with groups from these and other countries participating in Guadalajara's International Mariachi and Charreria Conference. The music has a strong following in the US, with top groups spending a lot of time on tour. In the late 1980s, pop star Linda Ronstadt recorded "Canciones de Mi Padre" and "Más Canciones" with Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán and others, which helped promote its popularity among Mexican Americans and to non-Mexican Americans. The first student mariachi group was begun in 1961 at the University of California, Los Angeles. This prompted the creation of other student organizations in other parts of California and then in Texas, where the first mariachi festival was held in 1979. Since then, a strong synergy between academic programs and mariachi festivals has developed, which feature students and give mariachi classes and workshops. This festival led to excitement in the Texas board of education, and soon Zeke Castro, a many award-winning educator, was hired to teach mariachi. Once school programs were limited to border areas such as San Antonio and Tucson, but they have spread across the southwest and into other parts of the United States, especially since the 1990s. There are at least 500 schools offering classes along with local and state competitions. The Tucson International Mariachi Conference began in 1982 and showcases over 500 elementary, middle, and high schools and college mariachi players. The Las Vegas International Mariachi Festival, established in 1991, is televised on Telemundo and PBS and has headlined artists such as Pedro Fernández, Ana Gabriel, American-born mariachi singer Pepe Aguilar and more. , a Chilean singer of ranchera The educational movement is controversial with some trained in the traditional manner, who are skeptical about these programs and their potential to change the tradition. The changes, especially standardization of publishing, are slowly impacting mariachi in Mexico. One difficulty of arranging mariachi pieces is that the son jaliscense that mariachi is based on alternates between and time. Much of the published mariachi music is meant for people already familiar with the music to serve as guides, not for novices. On the other hand, many schools have problems recruiting mariachi instructors as many of these do not have required teaching credentials. For this reason, schools often hire trained musicians from outside the mariachi tradition. Many traditional mariachis are concerned that standardization will lead to the genre becoming rule-bound and so restrict improvisation. Other innovations in the United States have been the incorporation of styles of artists such as Elvis Presley, Freddy Fender, Glenn Miller, Marty Robbins, and Johnny Cash, as well as the heavy-metal mariachi band Metalachi. Another is the encouragement of female mariachis, including all-female mariachi groups such as Mariachi Mujer 2000, Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles and Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea. Mariachi Mujer has performed with Mexican artists such as Vikki Carr, Pablo Montero, Gerardito Fernandez and Nydia Rojas. Mariachi Divas have won two Grammy Awards, have toured extensively in the United States and are the official mariachi of Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. is 2015 Latin Grammy nominated Mariachi Flor de Toloache, who are featured in Dan Auerbach's The Arcs. An all-female mariachi in London, UK, Mariachi Las Adelitas UK, plays traditional Mexican mariachi music as well as some English-language covers in mariachi style. English singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor's 2016 album Familia was inspired by a visit to Mexico. She posted a video in which she appears singing one of the songs from the album, "Death of Love", next to a group of mariachis in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. == Aesthetics ==

Charro is the "outfit of the rancher" and made its way to mariachi when it came to showing mariachis nationally. It is meant not to give off the sound of Mexico but also the look of it, representing their country. Bands could have similarly looking charros but they are all unique to either the band or each player. Mariachi has multiple stages it can perform on, including big elaborate stages with stair-like platforms elevating the performers and musicians, usually with the singer being in the middle of it all. Mariachi can be played anywhere, though, with all or most instruments being portable. == Styles of mariachi ==

Son Jarocho is its own style of music of what they call "sones." There are multiple styles of these sones, which collectively are called "sonecitos del pais," which means "little songs from the countryside." Each style comes from its own region, which originated in the 1800s, mixing Mexican and other regional or outsider music to this style of music and resulting in a very inviting kind of music and dance. Bolero is a style of mariachi music that showcases the singer, usually singing more operatically, and is known having lyrics that contain romantic subjects. This kind of mariachi is much slower, more intimate, and softer. But it still has a grandiose sound, which can be great for people who have bought a smaller mariachi band for private purposes to serenade someone, or a band with more players to share this beautiful sound with whoever listens. Ranchera is a style of music typical played with a Mariachi band, being a slower, more emotional kind of style compared to other styles, Ranchera is what people hear most, other than traditional mariachi, and has a beautiful sound, emphasizing vocals and the stories of rural life on ranches and similar places. It is a unique sound that you can imagine being sung on a ranch to a wife, someone who is distraught, or just someone letting their feelings out. Corridos are another kind of ballad, ballads are seen to be very emotional and talks about any "heavy" topic including loss, being poor, relationship struggles, etc. Talking about harsher topics, slower pace and less happy sound. Still having beautiful vocals and instrumentals. Banda's are similar to Mariachi bands but they are more about wind and brass instruments, not so much string or any at all, and vocals are used in the sound of Banda Music. Banda's got their sound from hearing military bands perform and then developed their own sound, brass instruments and that marching sound is what makes this music unique than any other. == Women in mariachi ==

, Mexico In the 1940s, the first all-female mariachi band was created, directed by Carlota Noriega, with many more to follow, primarily in the United States. These female groups adopted the same traje de charro attire that the men but added long skirts and removed the sombreros. Women in Mariachi were not socially accepted and were restricted from playing in places including taverns. Once mariachis were in cities, women became more acceptable. Schools and teaching mariachi have done a lot for the growth and inclusivity of the genre, allowing many to have careers in music and allowing both Hispanic and non-Hispanic woman to play the music. ==Dance==

The most common dance technique in mariachi is zapateado, translated to "tap dance" is a kind of footwork adopted from the Spanish Flamenco dance. It is a percussive rhythmic dance that follows a plant of foot followed by a heel tap then another foot plant, and continues on this pattern. This dance involves a wooden platform called a Tarima. Ballet folklórico is a dance that is not directly linked to mariachi, but they are often performed on stage together. They both involve highly gendered performances, elaborate costumes, and invite audience participation. ==Musical forms==

• Show mariachi allows the groups to play a certain set list of songs. • Nochistlán (sequential participatory music) allows an interactive music listening experience where audience members can request songs and even participate with karaoke. • Meter [chun-ta] :*Canción ranchera (2 tiempos) :*Corrido (2 tiempos) :*Polka :*Pasodoble :*Marcha • Meter [chun-ta-ta] :*Canción ranchera (3 tiempos) :*Corrido (3 tiempos) :*Valses mexicanos • Meter :*Bolero ranchero :*Serenata :*Danzón :*Chotís :*Cumbia ranchera :*Canción rítmica :*Danza • Meter :*Son jaliscience :*Sones regionales mexicanos :*Huapango • Meter with :*Joropo :*Son jarocho • Mixed meter: • Jarabe - e.g. "Jarabe Tapatío" ::Other examples: :*"Muerte de un gallero" (corrido-son) :*"El Charro Mexicano" (ranchera-son) • Classical music overtures ==References==