Explorations in Music Blog
MARIACHI
Mexican mariachi music is made to move you. It is direct,
driving, and designed to instill emotion. Happy, sad, proud, angry, desolate,
romance-stricken, and rebellious are some of the moods inspired by its
extroverted singers, suave harmonies, and romping rhythms. "Mariachi"
means a certain repertoire of music, a special grouping of instruments, and a
distinctive style of singing that create an unmistakable sound unique in the
world. It has special meaning for many Mexican Americans as an emblem of their
cultural heritage and a source of pride and community connections. And since
the days of the Chicano Movement beginning in the 1960s, it has become a movement
of its own, attracting millions of fans and music makers throughout the USA.
Indigenous Mexicans played music with drums, rattles, horns made
from conch shells, and flutes. The Mariachi style of music did not appear until
the Spanish arrived in Mexico and introduced guitars, violins, brass
instruments, harps, and woodwind instruments. These people quickly learned to not
only play but also make these instruments, often modifying the tunings and
shapes. The introduction of new types of instruments in Mexico, as well as the
concept of musical groups gave rise to several folk musical styles, one of them
being Mariachi.
As Mariachi music became more well known, groups began playing
in haciendas but after the Mexican Revolution, many workers were let go. In
order to make money the Mariachi groups would have to wander around town,
playing for a fee. They were also forced to play in public venues. The first
recognized Mariachi recordings were made in 1908 and 1909.
Mariachi music as it is known today developed in the 20th
century as music began to transform. The Mexican government had a big hand in
cultural promotion as a way to unify Mexican identity after the Revolution. One
effort was to promote Mariachi as an international symbol of Mexican identity.
The first nationwide radio broadcasting network was built in Mexico in the
1920s. During this time, Mariachi music was broadcast nationwide. Also around
this time, Cuban music and jazz began to influence Mariachi and trumpets began
being used as harps and violins were pushed into second place.
Mariachi
Sol De Mexico Perform Guadalajara | GRAMMYs - YouTube
“A Brief History of the Mariachi
Tradition.” West Music, 22 June 2021,
content.westmusic.com/resources/brief-history-of-mariachi.
“History of Mariachi Music.” History of
Mariachi Music, 2021, web.nmsu.edu/%7Elleeper/pages/Voice/marrujo/history.htm.
“History of the Mariachi.” N/A,
2021,
www.mariachi.org/history.html#:%7E:text=Although%20the%20origins%20of%20Mariachi%20music%20go%20back,to%20popular%20legend%2C%20in%20the%20town%20of%20Cocula.
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