2022 San Diego International Mariachi Summit Mariachi Scholarship Foundation
GALA CONCERT “Leyendas del Mariachi”
July 16, 7 pm • San Diego Civic Theatre MariachiSD.org
Lupita Infante • Rafael Jorge Negrete José Alfredo Jimenez Medel • Juan Mendoza • Gabriel Solís Miguel Aceves Mejía • Laura y Juan Záizar • Mirza Maldonado Alberto de la Rosa, Ivan Velasco and the Tlen Huicani All Stars Mariachi Champaña Nevin • San Diego Binational Symphony Orchestra Ballet Folklórico International • Choreography by Viviana Basanta Hernández Directed by Jeff Nevin
Dear Amigos,
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elcome to the 2022 San Diego International Mariachi Summit! This is a very special year for the Mariachi Scholarship Foundation as we are celebrating our 25th anniversary (+1!). Founder of the Mariachi Scholarship Foundation, Roberto “Bob” Griego, was born in New Mexico and grew up with the sound of Mariachi Music: his father frequently sat and played his guitar, singing songs by José Alfredo Jiménez — his favorite was “La Mano De Dios”. His mother was always in the kitchen in the early mornings rolling out tortillas while listening to Mexican music over a little white radio — the odor of tortillas toasting on the stove filled the house. Mr. Griego, throughout his life, cherished every opportunity hear the Music of Mariachi. His enjoyment of Mariachi music was enhanced when, after graduating from San Diego State, he accepted his first employment opportunity with “SER” Jobs for Progress. He was responsible for supporting 40 SER programs spread over five southwestern states, and in his travels to these projects, he was frequently greeted with sound of mariachi music: the passion of mariachi was firmly instilled in his heart by this time. This experience also exposed him to the serious struggles Mexican and Mexican-Americans face in our country. His desire to address their needs fueled his passion as a public administrator. Upon returning to San Diego, Bob chose to live in the South Bay so his children could grow up living and understanding the Mexican culture, but after facing an adverse situation when his daughters attempted to enroll in the Sweetwater school district, Mr. Griego’s passion to do good only increased: he knew he could only help if he was elected to the District’s Board of Trustees — he ran and was elected a short time later. In 1996, Bob Griego, in his role as a member of the Sweetwater Union High School District Board of Trustees, initiated the first mariachi in the Sweetwater Union High School District — this was the first school-based mariachi in the county. The Southwest High School was selected to launch the first mariachi program mainly because of the strong interest and support shown by the school’s Principal, Christine Aranda Smith. This districtwide mariachi soon became the highlight of the District, and because of its success Mr. Griego began to advocate launching mariachi classes in all District schools. Mr. Griego learned that it was important for all students and their families to have a strong connection to their schools; this connection encouraged a better learning experience, and improved student attendance. He was informed that students who participated in visual and performing arts did substantially better in math and science, and school district reviews showed that Mexican and
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Mexican-American students had a higher absentee rate — parental participation was significantly less for these students compared to other populations as well. This knowledge strongly inspired Mr. Griego to push ahead in spite of strong opposition from other officials in the school district until he won the necessary support from other Trustees to launch the program. This is when Mr. Griego incorporated the Mariachi Scholarship Foundation, and since he believed that all students should have an opportunity for success, he set the mission of the Foundation to provide scholarships and training programs for the new mariachi students. The Mariachi program, he felt, could only succeed with strong support from the community and long-lasting advocacy from the Mariachi Scholarship Foundation. Today the Mariachi Scholarship Foundation continues to thrive because of the dedication of current President, Jeff Nevin, a highly respected educator, successful world-renowned mariachi virtuoso, and we are thankful for his 26 years of dedicated service as one of the original Trustees. Another vital contributor to the Foundation is Board Trustee Sandi Smith: she accepted the responsibility for scholarship distribution and the Foundation’s record keeping, and has done far more than this over the years. Mr. Griego’s dream to provide scholarships to students and to celebrate mariachi in our schools has become reality. We give thanks and a big “abraso” to all of our supporters. And today, as we continue on our quest to promote mariachi education, we are unveiling our new exhibit, MARIACHI: Historia • Estrellas • Leyendas, made possible by a generous donation from our good friend Ed Marsh. The exhibit will be housed in the Southwestern College library for the next 3 years. And finally, with the support of people like you who attend our concerts and contribute to our scholarship fund, we have just awarded more than $30,000 worth of college scholarships to local mariachi and ballet folklórico students — bringing our total scholarships awarded over the years to nearly $600,000. The Mariachi Scholarship Foundation thanks you for all of your support, and here’s to another successful 25 years of mariachi music, dance, and education! Please visit MariachiSD.org to make a contribution and learn more about what we do — your support and contribution will mean more scholarships to deserving students and more mariachi concerts for all of us to enjoy! ¡Muchas Gracias! The Mariachi Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees
San Diego International Mariachi Summit 2022
MARIACHI SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION presents:
2022 SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL MARIACHI SUMMIT
“Leyendas del Mariachi”
Program:
July 16, 7pm • San Diego Civic Theatre
Mariachi Champaña Nevin San Diego Binational Symphony Orchestra Alberto de la Rosa, Ivan Velasco and the Tlen Huicani All Stars Ballet Folklórico International, with choreography by Amalia Viviana Basanta Hernández Intermission Lupita Infante Rafael Jorge Negrete José Alfredo Jiménez Medel Miguel Aceves Mejía Gabriel Solís Juan Mendoza “El Tariácuri” Laura y Juan Záizar Mirza Maldonado Grand Finale
PROGRAM
GALA CONCERT
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We’d like to honor the BOB GRIEGO
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ob Griego was born in a small adobe house in Mountainair New Mexico. His parents moved to Barstow California, where Bob lived a small town life with his brothers and sisters. He graduated from Barstow High School went on to Barstow Community College and graduated with an AA degree. He married his wife Cynthia of 54 years and they moved to San Diego where Bob attended San Diego State College, graduating with a BA degree. He accepted empl oy m e nt w i t h “SE R” Jobs for
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Progress at its National Headquarters in Santa Monica, California, a National Hispanic employment and training organization, then was selected for an internship in Washington DC., where he assisted the US Department of Labor provide technical assistance to major cities. Following this internship he was assigned to the President’s Cabinet Committee on Opportunities for the Spanish Speaking; his assignments took him across the United States where he presented the President’s plan for addressing Health, Employment, and Housing needs in Hispanic Communities. Bob returned to “SER” Jobs for Progress, accepting the position of National Deputy Director of Program Operations. He later accepted employment with Juarez and Associates, a management consulting firm under contract with US Department of State and other government agencies. Bob provided technical assistance to government officials in seven Central American countries. At the same time Bob continued his education at UCLA, receiving a Master’s degree in in Public Administration, emphasis in State and Local government. He has held several Public Administration Positions, both
San Diego International Mariachi Summit 2022
appointed and elected, and served, as a City Manager, County Chief Executive Officer, General Manager of a water District, School Board President and Trustee. He also accepted an appointment from the Governor to serve on the California State mining and Geology Board. He was highly recognized for his knowledge in disaster preparedness and his knowledge of mining operations he gained serving as a City Manager. Bob always sought ways to improve his knowledge and skill in management and leadership and he remained active in many professional organizations such as the International City County Management Association, (Vice President), the American Society for Public Administration, San Diego (Chapter President), The League of California Cities, City Managers Department, (Board Member), and many others. Bob has received much recognition in his 35 years of distinguished public service, including the “Peace Maker of the Year” by Community Mediation of San Diego, with a Special Commendation by the Mayor of San Diego. He received a service award and was honored for his significant contributions, by the State Mining and Geology Board.
following people… THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Ed Marsh Ludvina and Sonny Nevarez, Carolyn Woodbury, Keith Mikas, Ms. Linda Lauff
Honorees The Mariachi Scholarship Foundation would like to recognize, honor and say thank you to the following people who made significant contributions to the Foundation in the early years that set us on the path to success:
Bob Griego, Founder Jeff Nevin Sandi Smith Dr. Serafin Zasueta Mary Salas Dr. Christine Aranda Smith Judge Luis Vargas Greg Sandoval Dr. Edward Brand Rene Olivo Yuri Calderon Joseph Martinez
“Thank you to the following people for contributing to this new mariachi history exhibit” Sandi Smith Pedro Ochoa Armando García Janelle Ayón Isabel Fuéntes Miguel Aceves Mejía Rafael Jorge Negrete Gabriel Solis Juan Mendoza Laura & Juan Záizar Mirza Maldonado José Alfredo Jimenez Medel Beatriz Esperón Lilia Guízar Alina Sanchez Marco Antonio Izquierdo Kuntz Emilio Garcia Salazar Miguel Ángel Fernandez de La Riva Amalia Viviana Basanta Hernández Viviana Alvarez Basanta San Diego International Mariachi Summit 2022
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Mariachi Scholarship Foundation
Major Accomplishments — 2022 • Over $550,000 in college scholarships awarded since 1996 • More than 500 scholarship recipients • Thousands of students participated in San Diego County mariachi programs we helped start and support with educational workshops and scholarships for graduating students • Students have used MSF scholarships to attend Harvard, MIT, Stanford, UCLA, UC Berkeley, SDSU, USD, UCSD, Southwestern College, and countless other schools
Annual events: • San Diego International Mariachi Summit: held every summer, with student master classes, history presentations, professional development for teachers, student concerts, professional concerts. Held at Southwestern College, with a Gala concert at the San Diego Civic Theatre • Scholarship Presentation: held every spring, awarding 20-35 scholarships, averaging $25,000 per years, since 1996 • Inauguration in 2022 of mariachi history exhibit, “MARIACHI: Historia • Estrellas • Leyendas”, made possible by a generous donation from Edward Marsh
“Mariachi [has] shown me the beauty behind my Mexican roots and has made me proud of them.” Karelly, 2020
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San Diego International Mariachi Summit 2022
Edward E. Marsh
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d Marsh grew up in San Diego and likes to say he fell in love with mariachi before he was born: his parents travelled to Rosarito to listen to mariachis when his mom was still pregnant with him, and those visits continued throughout his childhood! A lifelong collector, his passions include mariachi, science fiction, philosophy and Scientology — and he spent his life amassing impressive collections of literature, artwork and memorabilia in all of these areas. Marsh co-founded Nationwide Title Clearing with his best friend in 1992, and sold it to a Wall Street conglomerate for $200 million after nurturing the company for 30 years. This has allowed him to turn his passions into philanthropy: in addition to his donation seeding this mariachi history exhibit, he recently donated his collection of science fiction books (many signed, first editions), artwork and other ephemera to create the Edward E. Marsh Golden Age of Science Fiction Library at San Diego State University. In 2015 he produced El Gran Concierto in Rosarito, featuring Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán with full symphony orchestra, and has proudly supported the Rosarito Boys & Girls Club,
MARIACHI
Historia • Estrellas • Leyendas
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his exhibit truly began years ago when Ed Marsh started collecting mariachi memorabilia and commissioning artwork based on some of the greatest mariachi musicians. In 2015 he produced El Gran Concierto in Rosarito — featuring Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, maestro Guadalupe Flores and a Bi-National Symphony Orchestra — and for this event he had bronze busts made of the members of Mariachi Vargas, plus Silvestre and Gaspar Vargas, Rubén Fuentes, Maestro Flores and others. In 2021 he donated to the Mariachi Scholarship Foundation more than 1,000 LP recordings, 37 bronze and resin busts, numerous historic instruments, trajes worn by members of Mariachi Vargas, photographs, artwork and more. Jeff Nevin, President of the Mariachi Scholarship Foundation, said he’d accept the donation but on the condition that Ed help fund the creation of a more complete mariachi history exhibit. Jeff had
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the Mariachi Vargas Museum in Tecalitlán, Jalisco, and other mariachi events that benefit kids and communities in the US and Mexico.
developed and taught a course in mariachi history for more than 20 years so he had the content and structure already in-hand, and the additional donation from Ed helped fund the acquisition of hundreds of historical photographs, dresses, trajes, artwork, instruments and more. The exhibit is an extraordinary historical and cultural journey through one of the most widely traveled musical genres in the world, that was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2011: El Mariachi. The displays show how music that was formed by peasants in Western México reached world-class artistic and musical heights. MARIACHI: Historia • Estrellas • Leyendas, is the confluence, the backbone, the History that breaths life into mariachi: the origin of the word, the evolution of the music, Legends behind the songs, the Stars who represented and enriched the genre, and much more. The full collection contains several thousand pieces and covers the history of mariachi from the year 1500 to the present day.
San Diego International Mariachi Summit 2022
“Mariachi” is a Place
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he first known written mention of the word “mariachi” is in a birth registry from 1833: “Ignacio de Lollola was born in el Rancho Mariachi”. This was registered in the archives of the Santiago Ysquintla church near the town of Tepic, in the state of Nayarit.
Collection of Jesús Jauregui
A burial record from 1836, also from Santiago Ysquintla church in Nayarit, states that María Ramos died at the age of 29, and “she is originally from Mariache.” If María was 29 when she was died in 1836, that means she was born in 1807 — so a rancho/pueblo named “Mariache” (spelled with an “e”) must have existed since at least 1807. (Jesús Jauregui, “El Mariachi”, p. 181) There is evidence of at least 5 different places in western Mexico that were called “Mariachi/e” in the 1800’s.
“Mariachi” is a Party
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he first written mention of the word “mariachi” in relation to music was on March 27, 1852. The Presbyterian priest, Cosme Santa Anna, in Rosamorada, Nayarit wrote:
After completing my divine duties in church on this “Sacred Saturday”, I found that in the plaza in front of that very church there were two fandangos, one gaming table and men on foot and horseback who were yelling at the top of their lungs as a Collection of Jesús Jauregui result of having drunk so much wine — such a regrettable and disorderly scene! This is one of the most solemn days of the resurrection every year, we can only imagine how many crimes and excesses are being committed during these events, which generally in this part of the country are called “mariachis”… later, new musicians were brought in who created a fandango that lasted from Saturday through Monday. Note: in this letter, Santa Anna says that a mariachi is an “event”, “a fandango that lasted [for 3 days]”, and that there were at least two groups of musicians (the first ones, and the “new musicians” who were brought in later). It did not yet refer directly to the music itself.
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“Mariachi” is a Dance
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n 1895, the “Dictionary of Mexicanisms” by Feliz Ramos I Duarte defined “mariache” as: “(Jalisco) Fandango, dance of the people from the pueblo.” Since you need music to dance, “mariache” probably referred to the music too, but this definition only calls mariachi a fandango (party) and dance.
Alvaro Ochoa Serrano: Mariachi/ Mariache en el Occidente de Mexico
Origin and Etymology of the Word “Mariachi” Nobody knows exactly where the word “mariachi” comes from, but there are several theories:
From Indigenous Mexicans
we speak with an accent in a foreign language.
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From the Coca People
any indigenous Mexican people speak Nahuatl or closely related languages which feature the vocative “tze” or “che” at the end of nouns. And we know that Spanish missionaries taught indigenous people to sing music in praise of Catholic saints, including the Virgen Mary — “María” in Spanish. One can imagine a priest saying, “Let’s sing María music” and an indigenous person responding, “Yes, María-tze music” — this could have easily become “mariache” or “mariachi”.
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nother theory is that the Coca people, for whom the town of Cocula is named, may have had a word “mariachi” that referred to a specific tree (like an oak or pine — this was a mariachi). They constructed a wooden box/ platform used for dancing (a tarima) out of the mariachi tree — so their dance and music would have been called “mariachi” after the name of the platform they dance on.
If this seems unlikely, consider this: Mariachi Garibaldi from Southwestern College travelled to Russia in 2009 and a Russian woman asked, “What kind of music do you play?” I responded “Mariachi” and she replied, “Mariasky?!? I love mariasky music!”. This is very natural: when a person hears something unfamiliar, they unconsciously transform it into something more familiar. This is why
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Other Indigenous Roots “Mitote” is an indigenous word that meas “fiesta” or “celebration”. It is conceivable that over the course of 300 years and many people speaking different languages, the word “mitote” could have transformed into “mariachi”.
The manner in which the Mexicans dance”. Juan de Tovar, c. 1585
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San Diego International Mariachi Summit 2022
It’s Not French!
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ne theory that is often repeated is nevertheless completely FALSE: mariachi does NOT come from the French word “mariage” (“marriage”). Supposedly, when the French invaded Mexico, some soldiers married Mexican women, contracted local musicians for their weddings and called it “mariage music”, which later became “mariachi”. But the French invaded Mexico in 1862 and we have examples of the word mariachi in documents from BEFORE then. Also, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Batalla de Puebla, when Mexican peasants defeated the invading French army — even if the French called this “mariage music”, Mexican people would NEVER continue using a French word to refer to their own music. This theory is NOT TRUE.
The True Origin
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nfortunately, nobody really knows where the word came from! Any of these theories could be true (though it’s NOT from France!), but the more important thing to consider is that mariachi grew out of the combination of Spanish, Indigenous and African music in Mexico. The word mariachi appeared for the first time in western Mexico in the early 1800’s — about 300 years after the Spanish arrived — and it has indigenous roots.
Definition and Usage Today 1. Music that came from the collision of Spanish, African and Indigenous Mexican people in the 1500’s, and first appeared with the name mariachi in the western Mexican states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Michoacan and others in the 1800’s: “I enjoy listening to mariachi” 2. A musician who plays mariachi music: “I am a mariachi” 3. A group of musicians that plays mariachi music, also used in group names: “I play in a mariachi”, “Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán” 4. The style that mariachis use: “that sounds classical, play it more mariachi” 5. The characteristics of good mariachi musicians: “you are very mariachi” 6. An event with music and dance: “the mariachi lasted all night”
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Jorge Negrete
(Guanajuato, 1911 – Los Angeles, 1953) orge Negrete was one of most iconic Mexican actors and singers of all time. He studied singing and aspired to be an opera star, performing professionally before appearing in movies. His good looks and commanding presence (shaped by his time in military school) defined the “ideal Mexican hero”, the quintessential charro cantor (“singing cowboy”) — an image that persists today. And as with Lucha Reyes, his singing style set an example for every mariachi singer who followed.
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He died in Los Angeles of liver disease related to hepatitis when he was just 42 years old. True to the lyrics of one his most iconic songs, and his wishes, his body was returned to Mexico: México lindo y querido, si muero lejos de ti, que digan que estoy dormido y que me traigan aquí. (“Beautiful and beloved Mexico, if I die far away from you, tell them that I’m only sleeping and have them bring me back here.”)
José Alfredo Jiménez
(Dolores Hidalgo, 1926 – Mexico City, 1973) osé Alfredo Jimenez was equally famous for being a songwriter and singer. He also appeared in several movies, but his largest impact was the legacy of songs he composed and recorded. He has a lower and rougher voice than most other male mariachi singers — he sings almost like he is speaking. Put another way, you might listen to him and say “I could sing like that!” He was not
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San Diego International Mariachi Summit 2022
“Museo del Estanquillo Colecciones Carlos Monsiváis, used with permission”
particularly handsome and just looks and sounds like a “regular guy”, which is part of his appeal: he is very relatable, and it makes you want to sing along with his songs. José Alfredo is said to have written more than 1,000 songs, but he only recorded about 260. Still, he has more songs in the standard mariachi repertoire than probably any other composer: ask any mariachi to “play something by José Alfredo” and they will have dozens in their everyday repertoire. His songs may seem simple on the surface but they are very heart-felt and express emotions directly and sincerely, using simple, every-day words in an ingenious way: when José Alfredo sings something profound and deeply emotional, it makes you think, “Yes, that’s exactly how I feel”. He died of hepatitis, probably related to alcoholism, at the age of 46. All of the most famous Mexican singers have sung his songs, including Pedro Infante, Javier Solis, Placido Domingo and countless others.
Miguel Aceves Mejía
(El Paso/Chihuahua, 1915 – Mexico City, 2006) iguel Aceves Mejía was born in El Paso when his parents took a train to the US to flee from Pancho Villa, who was marching with his soldiers on their home city of Chihuahua. He appeared in 64 movies in his lifetime and recorded more than 1,600 songs! While he did make several movies in the 1940’s, his fame and movie appearances increased after Pedro Infante and Jorge Negrete both passed away. His movies and singing were particularly beloved in South America, and his recordings are still iconic and influential today.
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Miguel Aceves had a very high, clear voice and was particularly adept at singing “falsetto” (falsete in Spanish) -- cracking your voice to produce a very high, pure sound (like “yodeling” in English). For this reason, he was often called El rey del falsete, or “The King of Falsetto”. He pioneered this manner of singing in the 1950’s, working with Ruben Fuentes who composed many huapangos specifically to highlight Mejía’s amazing falsetto — and this style of singing is still one of the most recognizable and emblematic features of mariachi singing today.
When Miguel Aceves passed away of pneumonia just days before his 91st birthday, his body was ceremoniously placed in the rotunda of Mexico City’s Palacio de Bellas Artes (“Palace of Fine Arts”) before burial — an honor only granted to the most highly regarded Mexican artists.
“Not only have I discovered my Mexican roots through mariachi and its history, but it has also brought me closer to my family.” Carolina, 2013
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The True History of
“La Bikina”
Courtesy of Musel del Estanquillo Colecciones Carlos Monseváis
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his photo shows Rubén Fuentes Gasson receiving the Nota de Plata (“Silver Note”) Award from musician Juan García Esquivel in the famous XEW Radio for his song Ruega por nosotros (“Pray for Us”) in 1953. In 1964, Esquivel — known as “The King of Space Age Pop” — had a series of concerts at the Stardust Casino in Las Vegas featuring a new electric piano designed for him by Fender-Rhodes. He called Fuentes and said they were already performing his song Qué bonita es mi tierra (composed in 1962), but he wondered if Fuentes had a new melody that he could use to open the show. Fuentes said he didn’t, but that he would work on something.
Fuentes sat down at the piano in his home at the famous San Ángel Inn — where he lived with his wife at that time, one of the greatest divas of Mexican cinema, Martha Roth — improvised a new melody, wrote it down and sent it to Esquivel. Esquivel used the unnamed song to open his concerts every night, and the band started calling it “the beginning”. The melody caught on and Fuentes registered it as La Bikina because that’s more or less what it sounded like when the musicians said “the beginning” with their Mexican accents! La Bikina is one of Fuentes’s most famous melodies and has been performed and recorded by countless artists in many different styles since it was composed more than 50 years ago
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San Diego International Mariachi Summit 2022
Bolero Ranchero T
he bolero is music that originated in Cuba in the late 1800’s and was very popular in Mexico in the early 20th Century: many Mexican composers wrote boleros that are considered “Mexican songs”, even though this type of song originated in Cuba.
In the late 1940’s the Musician’s Union in Mexico City went on strike, but the mariachis kept working! Rubén Fuentes — then a violinist in Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán and already composing — said that mariachis didn’t belong to the Union because, “They didn’t consider us to be musicians”. So when the studio musicians went on strike, Fuentes realized that in order to continue recording his songs, he would “have to teach the mariachis to play romantic music” — and that’s how he created the first “mariachi-style bolero”, or bolero ranchero!
Rubén Fuentes became very famous for creating the bolero ranchero, so the studio created this photo of him dressed in traje charro (“ranchero”), shining someone’s shoes (in Spanish, “bolero” also refers to a “shoeshine boy”). A shoeshine boy dressed in a traje charro — that’s a real bolero ranchero! This is Rubén Fuentes’s personal photo that hung in his office until he passed away in 2022.
Listen to Ruben Fuentes tell the story of how he created the first bolero ranchero. https://youtu.be/oAk8ashpSJI
According to his wife, Isabel Fuentes, the first bolero ranchero that Rubén recorded was Tienes que pagar (“You Have to Pay”), written for Pedro Infante sometime around 1950.
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Javier Solís
bladder surgery at the age of 34.
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If Pedro Infante was considered more of a great actor who sang very well, Javier Solis was more of a great singer who acted in movies: Pedro’s movies live on as his greatest legacy, Javier’s recordings are his greatest legacy. Sombras, Payaso, El pecador, put Perdóname mi vida live: https://youtu.be/caYuQOhShQ
(Mexico City, 1931 – Mexico City, 1966) hen Pedro Infante died in a plane crash, the studios needed someone to replace him: a leading man who could sing romantic music with mariachi. Javier Solís was already a well-known singer — especially popular in Central and South America, he actually sang a lot of Tangos (Argentinian music) — and he was able to step in and fill many of the movie roles that Pedro Infante would have done.
Amalia Mendoza
(1923, Huetamo de Núñez, Michoacán – 2001, Mexico City) he Mendoza Family of Musicians: Amalia, Juan, Norberto, Jerónimo, Eligio, Perla. “Tariácuri” is the name of an indigenous hero of the Purépecha people who lived in Michoacán in the 14th Century. Amalia Mendoza and several others in her family used this in their stage names to identify with the indigenous people of their home state. Amalia’s older brothers Norberto, Jerónimo, and Juan formed Trio Tariácuri in 1931 — the first of many guitar trios to become popular in Mexico, but unlike later trios that mostly performed romantic boleros, Trio Tariácuri specialized in sones from Michoacán and Jalisco, and huapangos. The younger brother, Eligio, later joined the Trio when Jorónimo died in a car accident. Amalia and her sister Perla had a duo called Las Tariácuri, and she recorded two albums with her brother Juan under the name Duo Tariácuri. Her nephew Juan Mendoza is El Tariácuri, and of course Amalia as a solo artist was known as La Tariácuri.
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Javier Solís has a stronger, more powerful and dramatic voice than Pedro Infante, and everyone loved how he sang boleros. So, while Pedro Infante was the first to sing boleros with mariachi, Javier Solís brought the bolero ranchero to maturity, and his recordings are still considered the best ever recorded — Solís is known as El rey del bolero ranchero today (“The King of the Bolero Ranchero”). Once, while Solís was on tour performing in New York, Frank Sinatra was reported to have said, “The best singer in the world today is in Mexico, his name is Javier Solís” Solís famously sang the song Perdóname mi vida on live on television in 1966 where, while performing his signature grito “Qué va!”, he suddenly winced in obvious, severe pain. He died 7 days later after failed gall-
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San Diego International Mariachi Summit 2022
Amalia Mendoza began her solo career on XEW radio in 1954 and appeared in a handful of movies in the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema, but was best known as singer who often recorded and performed with Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, specializing in rancheras and boleros composed by José Al-
Fernando Z. Maldonado
Cárdenas, San Luis Potosí, August 20, 1917 —Cuernavaca, Morelos, March 23, 1996 ernando Z. Maldonado is one of Mexico’s greatest arrangers. It was he — as author, arranger, and accompanist — who was responsible for the successes of artists such as Chelo Silva, Javier Solis, and Vicente Fernández, to name a few. He was one of the creators of the bolero cabaretero of the 1950’s and one of the biggest arrangers of bolero ranchero, but above all he was the author of one of Mexico’s most classic songs: Volver, volver (“Return, Return”).
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Maestro Maldonado began composing at the age of seven, when he learned to play the piano and the piccolo. He later moved to Mexico City with his wife, the composer María Alma, and joined the cast of the radio station XEW. In 1945 he had his first hit with Momento divino (“Divine Moment”), and soon became known as an accompanist for singers such as Manuel Pomián, the Huer-
Biography courtesy of SACM (Society of Authors and Composers of Mexico)
Lucha Reyes
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fredo Jiménez, Cuco Sánchez, José Ángel Espinoza, Gabriel Ruiz and Tomás Méndez. She recorded 36 albums, and won the Macuilxóchitl Award in 1962 for the best Bolerista de Ranchero (“Female Bolero Singer”). She was most identified with the songs Échame a mi la culpa (“Blame Me”) and Amarga navidad (“Bitter Christmas”). One of her final recordings was “Las Tres Señoras” (“The Three Ladies”), which she recorded with Lolá Beltrán and Lucha Villa in 1996.
ta sisters and Avelina Landín, among many others. With his piano and the pseudonym Fred McDonald, Maldonado recorded a famous series of albums in the United States in the 1950’s. Some of his most famous compositions include Hermoso cariño (“Beautiful Beloved”), Qué va (“What Happens”), Payaso (“Clown”), Actor (“Actor”), Amor prohibido (“Forbidden Love”), Mala vida (“Bad Life”), and Voy gritando por la calle (“I’m Screaming In the Street”). In addition to those previously mentioned, his songs have also been recorded by artists such as the Hernández sisters, Fernando Fernández, Chelo Flores, Luis Miguel, Ray Coniff, and Lucero.
(Guadalajara, 1906 – Mexico City, 1944) aría de Luz Flores Aceves, better known as Lucha Reyes, was the first Mexican “superstar” actor/ singer with mariachi. She began her career studying voice in the United States, then performed with great success across the US and Mexico before a fateful tour of Europe in 1927. On this tour she became ill, lost her voice and struggled to pay for her return to Mexico. When her voice finally returned, she could no longer sing operatic soprano, her voice became lower and rougher — characteristics which would define her mariachi singing. She made many recordings and several movies in the 1930’s, and established the model of female mariachi singing as it remains today.
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San Diego International Mariachi Summit 2022
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La Época de Oro del Cine Mexicano (1935-1960) “The Golden Age of Mexican Cinema”
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here were two main centers for moviemaking in the world in the 1930’s – 50’s: Hollywood and Mexico City. Think of what was happening in the rest of the world: World War II officially lasted from 1939-1945, and Europe took years to rebuild after the war. So there were not a lot of German romantic comedies made in the 1940’s, not a lot of French, English, Italian or Russian movies made then either. India did have its own Golden Age around the same time, but these Bollywood films never achieved much popularity outside of India. Mexican and American films, however, were translated and shown all over the world, so Jorge Negrete and Pedro Infante are just as famous in parts of Europe as John Wayne and Cary Grant! And since mariachis appear in many of these films, mariachi music is known and loved all over the world too. But these weren’t the groups that first traveled to Mexico City in the early 1900’s from their pueblos in western Mexico — the mariachis that people all over the world fell in love with through the cinema are the modern mariachi: larger groups (often 12+ musicians), wearing elegant and expensive suits (the traje charro), performing newly composed music and many different types of song. In short, these were professional, virtuoso mariachis in the center of one of the largest cities in the world — not the folk musicians who first created mariachi.
Manuel Esperón
(Mexico City, 1911 – Cuernavaca, 2011) Manuel Esperón was the most prolific and important Mexican movie-music composer of the Golden Age — he composed music for 626 movies and wrote 947 songs! He began by working in silent films at the age of 17, and he wrote his first film score for La mujer del puerto in 1933. His first movie was in 1933 and he died just short of his 100th birthday in 2011. His father, Macedonio Alcalá, was
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the famous composer known for writing the waltz Dios nunca muere, his mother was a concert pianist. Esperón was the first to include mariachi in movie scores, and helped to make Jorge Negrete, Pedro Infante and others famous by composing songs for them to sing with mariachi. Notably, in his movies the mariachi usually plays fairly simple music, while the orchestral score (the “background music” in a movie) is much more complex. In this way, Esperón also invented the concept of the mariachi ensemble playing with symphony orchestra. Here are some of Manuel Esperón’s most famous songs. Esos altos de Jalisco Canciones: (Jorge Negrete ) Ay, Jalisco no te rajes !!! Cocula. Esos Altos de Jalisco. Noche Plateada . Serenata Tapatia Traigo un Amor Flor de Azalea Amor con Amor se paga, entre muchas otras. Canciones: ( Pedro Infante ). Amorcito Corazon,. Mi Cariñito. A la Orilla del Mar . Mia. No Volveré. Maldita sea mi suerte. Yo soy , quién soy entre muchas mas
San Diego International Mariachi Summit 2022
Manuel Esperón, Rubén Fuentes and Actors and Singers the Legacy of Mariachi in the Movies The first generation of solo singers who sang with mariachi
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anuel Esperón and Rubén Fuentes are the two people most responsible for creating what most people call mariachi today. If Esperón hadn’t used mariachis in his film scores, the world may never have heard of mariachi in the first place. They didn’t become famous for playing in small pueblos and ranchos, it was for appearing in movies, on recordings and the radio in Mexico City.
But Esperón didn’t transform the mariachi ensemble itself so much as he incorporated the traditional mariachi into his film scores: the mariachis played fairly simple music, while the orchestra played more complex music. It was Rubén Fuentes who began to write much more complex music for the mariachi itself, requiring his musicians to learn to play boleros, huapangos, and many other types of music. The mariachi that people all over Mexico and all over the world heard for the first time in these movies wasn’t the mariachi in the rancho — folk-musicians, dressed in common clothes, playing sones from their pueblo — it was the greatest mariachis in the world, accompanying the most famous and best singers, performing new songs and new types of song that were just composed by some of the best composers in the world. This is the modern mariachi.
accompaniment were both actors and singers: they acted in the movies, but they also “acted” when they sang, making their singing style very dramatic and expressive. Mariachis still sing this way today. And their fame as actors helped make mariachi famous around the world too: people went to the movies to see the stars, but they saw mariachis too! Most of these actors were trained singers whose voices sounded more “refined” (they’re not “folk singers”), and this influenced how mariachi musicians sing: they have to imitate the solo singers! And they had to learn new repertoire, including many different types of songs. Working in the movies forced mariachis to become more professional in every way: they dressed better (adopting the very high-class and expensive traje charro); they had to read music so they could learn new songs quickly; and they had to meet the highest musical standards required for high-budget studios. This work in the movies and in the recording studio alongside the best singers and composers of the day completely transformed mariachi, into the modern ensemble we know today.
San Diego International Mariachi Summit 2022
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