Mariachis of Mexico
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About the Mariachi
From Mexico,
The Meeting of Two Cultures
,
1991 Higgins and Associates, New York, NY
for The 7-Eleven Hispanic Arts Festival
Mariachi - What Does It Mean?
Musicologists and folklorists
have argued for years over the origin of the word - Mariachi.
The explanation that appears
most frequently - especially on record jackets and in travel
brochures - is that it is a variation of the French word
mariage,
meaning wedding or marriage, and comes from the time in
the nineteenth century when Maximillian, a Frenchman, was
Emperor of Mexico. According to this myth the Mariachi was
named by the French after the celebration with which it
was most commonly associated. But this explanation, always
regarded as highly doubtful by linguists, was totally discredited
recently when a use of the word was found that predated
the time when the French arrived in Mexico.
Currently, however, the best
scholarly opinion is that the word mariachi
has native roots.
One theory is that it comes from the name of the wood used
to make the platform on which the performers danced to the
music of the village musicians. But whatever its true source
- and the truth may never be discovered with absolute certainty
- the word today has one meaning that is crystal clear:
Mariachi means
on of the most exciting and enchanting musical ensembles
found anywhere in the world.
The Beginning of the Mariachi
We Know Today
Although the origins of Mariachi
music go back hundreds of years, in the form we know it
the Mariachi began in the nineteenth century in the Mexican
state of Jalisco - according to popular legend, in the town
of Cocula. The Mariachi was the distinctive version of the
Spanish theatrical orchestra of violins, harp and guitars
which developed in and around Jalisco. In other areas such
as Veracruz and the Huasteca region in the northeast, the
ensemble evolved differently. By the end of the nineteenth
century, in Cocula the vihuela, two violins, and the guitarró n (which had replaced the harp) were the instruments of
the Mariachi. The principal music played
by these early Mariachis was the SON, the popular music
of the day. A mixture of folk traditions from Spain, Mexico,
and Africa, the son
was found in many regions of the country. The son
from Jalisco is called the son
jalisciense. La
Negra is the best-known
example.
Sones
from other regions include the son
jarocho or veracruzano,
from the region around the Gulf port of Veracruz; and the
son huasteco,
from northeastern Mexico. The most famous example of the
son jarocho
is La Bamba
. A typical son huasteco,
also known as the huapango,
is La Malagueń a.
It is interesting to note that there are some sones,
such as El Gusto,
which are common in all three regions and clearly date back
to a common ancestor.
The Mariachi at Special Occasions
Mariachis often help celebrate
the great moments in the lives of the Mexican people. With
the serenata (serenade), the Mariachi participates in the rite of courtship.
In a society where the young members of opposite sexes were
kept apart, the serenata was a means of communication by
which a young man could send a message of love to the woman
of his heart. In many areas of Mexico, it is not unusual
to be awakened by the sound of Las Mań anitas, the traditional
song for saints days, or birthdays. The Mariachi is usually
positioned strategically on the street beneath the window
of the festejada,
but the sound of its music echoes through the whole neighborhood.
Mariachis are also commonly hired for baptisms, weddings,
patriotic holidays, and even funerals. It is not unusual
for the deceased to leave a list of favorite songs to be
sung beside the grave at burial. Mariachi music has been incorporated
into the Roman Catholic Church's most sacred ritual: the
Mass. The Misa Panamericana
is a Mariachi folk mass, sung in Spanish, that uses traditional
instruments to create vivid new interpretations of the traditional
elements of the service: Angelus, Kyrie eleison, Gloria,
Alleluia, Offertory, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei.
The first Mariachi Mass was
the concept of a Canadian priest, Father Juan Marco Leclerc,
and has been celebrated in Cuernavaca since 1966. It originally
took place in a small chapel, but news of it spread so rapidly,
and the crowds grew so large, that the regular Sunday Mariachi
Mass had be moved to the Cathedral of Cuernavaca. It is
now frequently performed throughout Mexico, and In many
areas in the United States where people of Mexican origin
live. |
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