Mariachi
Encyclopedia
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco
, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind, and percussion instruments. In addition, sociohistorical factors have influenced the repertoire in terms of the performance of diverse regional song forms as well as the evolution of the performance attire. Mariachi is important to the study of Mexican music because, as an ensemble created during the colonial period, it found its essence during the postcolonial era, blossomed during the nationalist era, and has made a global impact in contemporary times. Throughout this development, particularly since the nationalist era, mariachi music has become emblematic of Mexican music by appropriating various Mexican regional song forms, experimenting in popular radio programs, appearing in the earliest Mexican films, and performing during presidential campaigns (Loza 1993, Turino 2003, Sheehy 2005, de la Mora 2006, Jáuregui 2007).
"The consensus of modern scholars is that the word mariachi is indigenous to Mexico. The now-extinct Coca language of central Jalisco is the most frequently cited as its probable source. Legend erroneously attributes the word to the French Intervention of the 1860s, explaining it as a corruption of the French word mariage, and citing a similarity between mariachi (or its archaic variant, mariache) and the French word for wedding. Historical documents prove that both the word mariachi and the ensemble it designates pre-date the French occupation of Mexico, making any similarity with the French word a phonetic coincidence" (Clark, 1996).
The mariachi ensemble generally consists of violin
s, trumpet
s, a classical guitar
, a vihuela
(a high-pitched, five-string guitar), a guitarrón (a large acoustic bass guitar) and, on occasion, a harp. The musicians dress in silver-studded charro
outfits with wide-brimmed hats. The original Mariachis were Mexican street musicians or buskers, but many today are professional entertainers making paid appearances in the entertainment industry. Professionals can usually play more than one instrument, and all can sing. They sometimes accompany ranchera
singers such as Vicente Fernández or even pop star Luis Miguel
. Although ranchera singers dress in a traje de charro
(Charro suit), they are not considered mariachis. Mariachi music, as well as other forms of traditional Mexican music, is also noted for the grito mexicano
, a yell done at musical interludes within a song, either by the musicians or the audience.
Although mariachis play at events such as weddings and formal occasions such as a quinceañeras (a girl's fifteenth birthday celebration), they are often used to serenade women because many of the songs have romantic lyrics. Trios of mariachis may be found for hire to seranade; the best known venues are the Plaza de los Mariachis in Guadalajara
and the Plaza Garibaldi
in Mexico City
). Mother's days are also a popular occasion for mariachis. Prices vary immensely and are seldom cheap.
Foreign tourists often confuse mariachis with other types of buskers seen in Mexico, such as the jarocho
s, typical of the State of Veracruz
, or "norteño
" bands, which come from the Northern states of Mexico. The term Mariachi refers only to musicians who dress and play in a style typical of Jalisco
, though the style and music has spread far. Usually a guitarrón and a vihuela must be present for a group to be considered mariachi.
, a guitar
, violin
s, and trumpet
s. Some groups might use a guitarra de golpe (a guitar mid-way in size and tone between the guitarrón and vihuela), a mariachi harp
or even a flute
. Since the 1970s some singers have occasionally added other instruments such as accordion
, organ
, keyboard
, harmonica
, saxophone
and even drums, although they were considered additions, never part of the mariachi instrumentation itself. During the last years some artists have made fusions of mariachi with orchestra
and percussion, giving birth to a Mariachi/pop ballad crossover style.
A complete mariachi group has as many as eight violins, two trumpets, and a guitar
. The vihuela
is a high-pitched, round-backed guitar-like instrument that gives the Mariachi its typical rhythmic vitality. The guitarrón is a deep-voiced guitar that serves as the bass of the ensemble. The mariachi harp usually doubles the bass line, but may also ornament the melody. These latter three instruments have European origins, but their present forms are strictly Mexican
.
Jalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind, and percussion instruments. In addition, sociohistorical factors have influenced the repertoire in terms of the performance of diverse regional song forms as well as the evolution of the performance attire. Mariachi is important to the study of Mexican music because, as an ensemble created during the colonial period, it found its essence during the postcolonial era, blossomed during the nationalist era, and has made a global impact in contemporary times. Throughout this development, particularly since the nationalist era, mariachi music has become emblematic of Mexican music by appropriating various Mexican regional song forms, experimenting in popular radio programs, appearing in the earliest Mexican films, and performing during presidential campaigns (Loza 1993, Turino 2003, Sheehy 2005, de la Mora 2006, Jáuregui 2007).
"The consensus of modern scholars is that the word mariachi is indigenous to Mexico. The now-extinct Coca language of central Jalisco is the most frequently cited as its probable source. Legend erroneously attributes the word to the French Intervention of the 1860s, explaining it as a corruption of the French word mariage, and citing a similarity between mariachi (or its archaic variant, mariache) and the French word for wedding. Historical documents prove that both the word mariachi and the ensemble it designates pre-date the French occupation of Mexico, making any similarity with the French word a phonetic coincidence" (Clark, 1996).
The mariachi ensemble generally consists of violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s, trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s, a classical guitar
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
, a vihuela
Mexican vihuela
Vihuela is the name of two different guitar-like string instruments: the historical vihuela of 16th century Spain, usually with 12 paired strings, and the Mexican vihuela from 19th century Mexico with five strings and typically played in mariachi groups.-Mexican vihuela:While the Mexican vihuela...
(a high-pitched, five-string guitar), a guitarrón (a large acoustic bass guitar) and, on occasion, a harp. The musicians dress in silver-studded charro
Charro
Charro is a term referring to a traditional horseman from Mexico, originating in the central-western regions primarily in the state of Jalisco including: Zacatecas, Durango, Guanajuato, Morelos, Puebla...
outfits with wide-brimmed hats. The original Mariachis were Mexican street musicians or buskers, but many today are professional entertainers making paid appearances in the entertainment industry. Professionals can usually play more than one instrument, and all can sing. They sometimes accompany ranchera
Ranchera
Ranchera is a genre of the traditional music of Mexico originally sung by only one performer with a guitar. It dates to the years of the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century. It later became closely associated with the mariachi groups which evolved in Jalisco. Ranchera today is also played...
singers such as Vicente Fernández or even pop star Luis Miguel
Luis Miguel
Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri is a Mexican singer. He is widely known only by the name Luis Miguel and is often referred to as "El Sol de México"...
. Although ranchera singers dress in a traje de charro
Charro
Charro is a term referring to a traditional horseman from Mexico, originating in the central-western regions primarily in the state of Jalisco including: Zacatecas, Durango, Guanajuato, Morelos, Puebla...
(Charro suit), they are not considered mariachis. Mariachi music, as well as other forms of traditional Mexican music, is also noted for the grito mexicano
Grito Mexicano
Grito Mexicano , or simply grito, is a part of Mexican culture. It is similar to the yahoo or yeehaw of the American cowboy during a hoedown, except with added trills and an onomatopoeia closer to "aaah" or "aaayyyeee". The first sound is typically held as long as possible, leaving enough breath...
, a yell done at musical interludes within a song, either by the musicians or the audience.
Although mariachis play at events such as weddings and formal occasions such as a quinceañeras (a girl's fifteenth birthday celebration), they are often used to serenade women because many of the songs have romantic lyrics. Trios of mariachis may be found for hire to seranade; the best known venues are the Plaza de los Mariachis in Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
and the Plaza Garibaldi
Plaza Garibaldi
Plaza Garibaldi is located in the historic center of Mexico City, on Eje Central between historic Calle República de Honduras and Calle República de Peru, a few blocks north of the Palacio de Bellas Artes. The original name of this plaza was Plaza Santa Cecilia, but in 1910 it was renamed in...
in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
). Mother's days are also a popular occasion for mariachis. Prices vary immensely and are seldom cheap.
Foreign tourists often confuse mariachis with other types of buskers seen in Mexico, such as the jarocho
Jarocho
A jarocho is a person, item or style of music from Veracruz, Mexico.One explanation of the origin of the term jarocho is that it evolved from an old Spanish word meaning brusque or disordered. There are many other theories....
s, typical of the State of Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
, or "norteño
Norteño (music)
Norteño , also norteña or conjunto, is a genre of Mexican music. The accordion and the bajo sexto are norteño's most characteristic instruments. The norteño genre is popular in both Mexico and the United States, especially among the Mexican community...
" bands, which come from the Northern states of Mexico. The term Mariachi refers only to musicians who dress and play in a style typical of Jalisco
Jalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
, though the style and music has spread far. Usually a guitarrón and a vihuela must be present for a group to be considered mariachi.
Instrumentation
Current mariachi instrumentation includes a guitarrón, a vihuelaMexican vihuela
Vihuela is the name of two different guitar-like string instruments: the historical vihuela of 16th century Spain, usually with 12 paired strings, and the Mexican vihuela from 19th century Mexico with five strings and typically played in mariachi groups.-Mexican vihuela:While the Mexican vihuela...
, a guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s, and trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s. Some groups might use a guitarra de golpe (a guitar mid-way in size and tone between the guitarrón and vihuela), a mariachi harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
or even a flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
. Since the 1970s some singers have occasionally added other instruments such as accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and even drums, although they were considered additions, never part of the mariachi instrumentation itself. During the last years some artists have made fusions of mariachi with orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
and percussion, giving birth to a Mariachi/pop ballad crossover style.
A complete mariachi group has as many as eight violins, two trumpets, and a guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
. The vihuela
Vihuela
Vihuela is a name given to two different guitar-like string instruments: one from 15th and 16th century Spain, usually with 12 paired strings, and the other, the Mexican vihuela, from 19th century Mexico with five strings and typically played in Mariachi bands.-History:The vihuela, as it was known...
is a high-pitched, round-backed guitar-like instrument that gives the Mariachi its typical rhythmic vitality. The guitarrón is a deep-voiced guitar that serves as the bass of the ensemble. The mariachi harp usually doubles the bass line, but may also ornament the melody. These latter three instruments have European origins, but their present forms are strictly Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Musical forms
- Metre in 2/4 [chun-ta]
- Canción ranchera (a dos tiempos)
- Corrido (a dos tiempos)
- "PolkaPolkaThe polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia...
" - PasodoblePasodoblePasodoble is a typical dance from Spain march-like musical style as well as the corresponding dance style danced by a couple. It is the type of music typically played in bullfights during the bullfighters' entrance to the ring or during the passes just before the kill...
- Marcha
- Metre in 3/4 [chun-ta-ta]
- Canción ranchera (tres tiempos)
- Corrido (tres tiempos)
- Valses mexicanos
- Son JaliscienceSon JaliscienceSon Jaliscience from Jalisco and Colima, in Mexico, has both instrumental and versed songs in this form, mostly in major keys. It is performed by mariachi ensembles. It has an alternating rhythmic pattern in the armonía and guitarrón. Basic pattern consists of one measure of 6/8 with the next...
- HuapangoHuapangoHuapango is a corruption of the Nahuatl word huapanco that textually means on top of the wood platform according to the dictionary of the Real Academia Española . Today huapango refers to a musical style that originated in and is played throughout the La Huasteca region in Mexico...
- Metre in 4/4 [2 bars = chun-ta-chun-ta / chun-ta-ta-ta]
- Bolero ranchero
- DanzónDanzónDanzón is the official dance of Cuba. It is also an active musical form in Mexico and is still beloved in Puerto Rico where Verdeluz, a modern danzón by Puerto Rican composer Antonio Cabán Vale is considered the unofficial national anthem...
- Ranchera Lenta
- CumbiaCumbiaCumbia is a music genre popular across Latin America. The cumbia originated in the Caribbean coast of Colombia, where it is associated with an eponymous dance and has since spread as far as Mexico and Argentina...
- Metre in 6/8
- Son Jaliscience
- JarabeJarabeThe jarabe is one of the most traditional song forms of the mariachi genre. In the Spanish language, jarabe literally means syrup, which probably refers to the mixture of meters within one jarabe ....
- HuapangoHuapangoHuapango is a corruption of the Nahuatl word huapanco that textually means on top of the wood platform according to the dictionary of the Real Academia Española . Today huapango refers to a musical style that originated in and is played throughout the La Huasteca region in Mexico...
- Metre mixed
-
- Examples:
- "Muerte de un gallero" (corrido-son)
- "El Charro Mexicano" (ranchera-son)
- Examples:
- Classical music obertures
Mariachis and artists
- José Alfredo JiménezJosé Alfredo JiménezJosé Alfredo Jiménez was a Mexican singer-songwriter in the ranchera style whose songs are considered an integral part of Mexico's musical heritage....
- Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán
- Jorge NegreteJorge NegreteJorge Alberto Negrete Moreno is considered one of the most popular Mexican singers and actors of all time....
- Pedro InfantePedro InfanteJosé Pedro Infante Cruz , better known as Pedro Infante, is the most famous actor and singer of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema and is an idol of the Latinamerican people, together with Jorge Negrete and Javier Solís, who were styled the Tres Gallos Mexicanos . He was born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa,...
- Vicente Fernández
- Antonio AguilarAntonio AguilarJosé Pascual Antonio Aguilar Barraza most commonly known as Antonio Aguilar, nicknamed "El Charro de México", was a Mexican film actor, singer, producer and screenwriter. During his career, he made over 150 albums, which sold 25 million copies, and made 167 movies...
- Pepe AguilarPepe AguilarJosé "Pepe" Aguilar Jiménez is a popular singer-songwriter of ranchera, mariachi and pop music. Pepe is the son of Mexican icon Antonio Aguilar and folkloric actress Flor Silvestre.-Career:...
- Pedro FernándezPedro FernándezJosé Martín Cuevas Cobos , known professionally as Pedro Fernández, is a Mexican recording artist and actor.-Discography:*1979: La De La Mochila Azul*1989: Vicio*1990: Por Un Amigo Más*1991: Muñecos De Papel...
- Alejandro FernándezAlejandro FernándezAlejandro Fernández is a Mexican singer. Nicknamed as "El Potrillo" by the media and his fans, he has sold over 20 million albums worldwide. Alejandro is the son of the ranchera singer Vicente Fernández. He originally specialized in traditional, earthy forms of Mexican folk music, such as...
- Ana GabrielAna GabrielAna Gabriel is a Mexican singer and composer.Ana Gabriel was born as María Guadalupe Araujo Yong, in Santiago de Comanito, Sinaloa, Mexico. She first sang on the stage at age six, singing "Regalo A Dios" by José Alfredo Jiménez. She moved to Tijuana, Baja California and studied accounting...
- Chayito ValdezChayito ValdezChayito Valdez is a Mexican-born American singer and actress associated with the folk music of Mexico.-Career:...
- Miguel Aceves MejíaMiguel Aceves MejíaMiguel Aceves Mejía was a Mexican actor, composer, and singer.Miguel Aceves Mejía, or "the King of the falsetto" as he was popularly known, was born in Ciudad Juárez in the state of Chihuahua...
- Tito GuízarTito GuízarFederico Arturo Guízar Tolentino was a Mexican singer and actor. He was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico....
- Shaila DúrcalShaila DúrcalShaila Dúrcal is a Spanish singer-songwriter best known for being the daughter of singing legend Rocío Dúrcal and 1960s Filipino pop idol Antonio "Júnior" Morales Barreto.- Biography :...
- Los Caballeros
- SelenaSelenaSelena Quintanilla-Pérez , known simply as Selena, was a Mexican American singer-songwriter. She was named the "top Latin artist of the '90s" and "Best selling Latin artist of the decade" by Billboard for her fourteen top-ten singles in the Top Latin Songs chart, including seven number-one hits...
- Mariachi el BronxThe Bronx (band)The Bronx is an American hardcore punk band from Los Angeles formed in 2002. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Matt Caughthran, guitarists Joby J. Ford and Ken Horne, bass guitarist Brad Magers, and drummer Jorma Vik...