Take a Musical Trip
I come from a very large hispanic family and for as long as I can remember during any family event hispanic music would be playing. Mariachi bands have always sparked my interest. They are so much fun! The roots of mariachi music go back hundreds of years. Mariachi bands were generally small and not well known outside the region of western Mexico. Violins, guitars, and a harp were the common instruments use to play Mariachi music.
The history of Mariachi is largely undocumented. The earliest known reference to Mariachi is in a letter written by priest Cosme Santa Anna in 1852. Early Mariachis did not dress alike and wore what was considered as, "peasant clothing". Mariachis were commonly associated with small, private parties. After the Mexican Revolution mariachis were not getting business or making money so they started to wander and play for free.
Mariachi was first introduced in Mexico City in 1905. During this time, the Mexican government was involved in cultural promotion after the end Mexican Revolution as a way to create a unified Mexican identity. Mexico created a nationwide radio broadcasting network in the 1920's. They began to broadcast Mariachi music as a media, rather than music for small, social events. During this same time there was a popularity of jazz and cuban music. This popularity introduced the trumpet into Mariachi, pushing out violins and in some cases, replacing the harp.
Mariachi music is a treasured part of local traditions. The Mexican-American community has helped influence the modern development of Mariachi music. Although influenced, tradition is still valued above all, as it is a large part of Mariachi. Although there is very little new Mariachi composed or preformed today it still remains in demand for Mexican and Mexican-American communities.
(n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2020, from https://www.mydso.com/about-the-dso/press-room/about-the-music/history-of-mariachi
Mariachi. (2020, October 03). Retrieved October 15, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariachi
A Brief History of the Mariachi Tradition. (2019, April 03). Retrieved October 15, 2020, from https://content.westmusic.com/resources/brief-history-of-mariachi/
This was definitely interesting to read about. I have not seen many Mariachi bands preform live but the ones that i have all portrayed an energy that is found nowhere else and it is absolutely amazing. It is cool to know that Mariachi bands started out performing at much smaller gatherings and would play for most individuals for free but are now known by many across the world and get paid for their work. Mariachi in my opinion has always had a large impact on people even though many did not find interest in it as much as some others.
ReplyDeleteHi Adreonna, before I read this post I really didn't know that much about Mariachi bands. I definitely enjoyed learning more about them, though. Thank you for writing this. I do agree that they seem to bring a fun mood wherever they are. Why do you think there isn't much new Mariachi being composed?
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