Vargas de Tecalitlán
Encyclopedia
Vargas de Tecalitlan
is a Mexican folk
ensemble
of mariachi
music created in 1897 by Gaspar Vargas. From 1950 it has been under the artistic guidance of Rubén Fuentes
. The group's musical direction has been the responsibility of Don Jose "Pepe" Martinez since 1975.
, to the south of Jalisco
. Founded in 1897 by Don Gaspar Vargas the formation during those years was provided by the guitarra de golpe (or mariachera) played precisely by Don Gaspar, the wooden harp by Manuel Mendoza, and two violins played by Lino Quintero and Refugio Hernandez. The combination of these instruments established the "Sonido Tecalitlan" which distinguished from the "Sonido Cocula
". (The Mariachi from Cocula utilized the guitarron
and the vihuela
in place of the harp
and the guitarra de golpe aside from the two violins). In 1913, Don Gaspar introduced one trumpet to the group but it was not well accepted and, in later performances, its high-pitched sound was considered annoying. The cornet was replaced by another violin. The group consisted then of five elements. The son of Don Gaspar Vargas, Silvestre Vargas
, joined as a violinist in 1921. From 1926 the group consisted of Gaspar Vargas - Guitarra de golpe, Manuel Mendoza - Harp, Silvestre Vargas, Trinidad Olvera and Nicolas Torres - Violins.
suits, they showed up on time for performances, and they were sober.
. Then again, in Mexico City
, in 1934, they were awarded another first place prize. President Lazaro Cardenas
, who enjoyed the music of "Vargas", subsequently had the group hired as the official mariachi of the Mexico City Police Department and the group moved to Mexico City where they remained for 20 years. They provided music and entertainment for the capitol city at its parks and gardens. Beginning in 1937, the Mariachi Vargas appeared in "Asi es mi Tierra", the first of its more than 200 motion pictures. They played in many of Pedro Infante's movies as well. In that same year they recorded their first record and signed an exclusive contract with RCA
.
was the first trumpet player for Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán. He is considered the creator of the mariachi-style trumpet and the best performer, teacher and example of the instrument. In 1944, Rubén Fuentes
, a classical violinist with no background in mariachi music, was asked by Silvestre to join the group. He joined as a violinist and became music adjuster. Silvestre Vargas and Ruben Fuentas reorganized Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán and changed their image and sound. They demanded a professional presentation to overcome the unruly concept that the term "mariachis" had to the general public in those days.
s and Sones (which were two very distinctive styles of the mariachi music) were being interpreted in many diverse and different ways. The Mariachi Vargas recorded the Sones with arrangements and adaptations as patterns for other groups. This stratagem promoted the concept that all mariachi groups could be unified to those versions by taking them as examples. The traditional songs and the original sound of the mariachi began to mature in the 1950s. It was during the recordings of the "Golden Age of the Huapangos" that the compositions, arrangements and musical direction of Rubén Fuentes, and the unequaled voice of Miguel Aceves Mejía, initiated a musical shift that would change the sound and instrumentation of the mariachi.
held its first international mariachi conference in September 1979. In 1975, Jose "Pepe" Martinez, Sr. became the musical director of Mariachi Vargas. He wrote many arrangements including "Violin Huapango" which individually showcase the different instruments and members in the group.
In 1983, the Mariachi Vargas appeared for the first time at the Tucson International Mariachi Conference. A new movement began to grow and many other conferences began to develop. The Mariachi Vargas was often chosen as the headline performer.
appeared with the Mariachi Vargas at the Tucson International Mariachi Conference where she sang publicly in Spanish for the first time. In 1987 she released her "Canciones de mi Padre" album featuring Mariachi Vargas which won her a Grammy award for the album. She also went on a national tour with the group, giving greater international exposure to mariachi music than ever before and creating a new audience for mariachi music among non-Hispanics.
It has also been interpreted in several albums with artists like Luis Miguel, Juan Gabriel, among others.
; her father was Natividad Santiago, who played guitarron with the band from 1959 until 1989.
Tecalitlán
Tecalitlán is a city and municipality in the central Mexican state of Jalisco, located just to the south of Ciudad Guzmán. According to the 1990 census, its population was 13,265.-Industry:...
is a Mexican folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
ensemble
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
of mariachi
Mariachi
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,...
music created in 1897 by Gaspar Vargas. From 1950 it has been under the artistic guidance of Rubén Fuentes
Rubén Fuentes
Rubén Fuentes Gassón , is a Mexican classical violinist and composer, who is best known for his contributions to Mariachi music. In 1944, he joined Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán as a violinist and later as a music arranger. In 1955 Fuentes stopped performing in the group, but he maintains his...
. The group's musical direction has been the responsibility of Don Jose "Pepe" Martinez since 1975.
Members
A minimum mariachi group has 2 violins, 2 trumpets, 1 guitarrón, 1 guitar, and 1 vihuela. Complete mariachi groups have a minimum of 12 members with the standard 6 violins, 3 trumpets, 1 guitarrón, 1 guitar and 1 vihuela. A 13th member is often a harp, an extra violin, or an extra guitar. The Vargas de Tecalitlán currently has thirteen members, distributed as follows.- ViolinViolinThe 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: Steeven Sandoval, Alberto Alfaro, José "Pepe" Martinez (Director), José Martínez Jr., Daniel Martínez, and Andres Gonzalez - TrumpetTrumpetThe 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: Federico Torres (member since 1966), Gustavo Alvarado (since 1991), and Fernando Valasquez (since 2007) - GuitarrónGuitarrónSee also: Guitarrón ChilenoThe guitarrón mexicano or Mexican guitarron, is a very large, deep-bodied Mexican 6-string acoustic bass played in mariachi groups...
: Enrique de Santiago (member of the group since 1989) - GuitarGuitarThe 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...
: Arturo Vargas (member of the group since 2003 and originating in JaliscoJaliscoJalisco 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...
) - VihuelaVihuelaVihuela 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...
: Miguel Angel Barron (part of the group since 2011, being the newest member of Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán) - HarpHarpThe 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...
: Julio Martínez
History
The history of Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán is divided into five phases (or generations); the first generation from 1897 to 1930, the second from 1931 to 1949, the third from 1950 to 1993, the fourth from 1994 to 2002 and the fifth since 2003 to date.1st generation (1897–1930)
The Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán was born in a small city called TecalitlanTecalitlán
Tecalitlán is a city and municipality in the central Mexican state of Jalisco, located just to the south of Ciudad Guzmán. According to the 1990 census, its population was 13,265.-Industry:...
, to the south 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...
. Founded in 1897 by Don Gaspar Vargas the formation during those years was provided by the guitarra de golpe (or mariachera) played precisely by Don Gaspar, the wooden harp by Manuel Mendoza, and two violins played by Lino Quintero and Refugio Hernandez. The combination of these instruments established the "Sonido Tecalitlan" which distinguished from the "Sonido Cocula
Cocula
Cocula is a town and municipality in the Mexican state of Jalisco. It is located 35 miles southwest of Guadalajara, on Mexico Highway 80. It sits at an elevation of 4,460 ft . According to the 2010 census, the population of the municipality was 26,174 with 14,548 inhabitants living in city...
". (The Mariachi from Cocula utilized the guitarron
Guitarrón
See also: Guitarrón ChilenoThe guitarrón mexicano or Mexican guitarron, is a very large, deep-bodied Mexican 6-string acoustic bass played in mariachi groups...
and 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...
in place of the 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...
and the guitarra de golpe aside from the two violins). In 1913, Don Gaspar introduced one trumpet to the group but it was not well accepted and, in later performances, its high-pitched sound was considered annoying. The cornet was replaced by another violin. The group consisted then of five elements. The son of Don Gaspar Vargas, Silvestre Vargas
Silvestre Vargas
Silvestre Vargas was a Mexican mariachi musician. In 1928, he became the leader of Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, an ensemble from Jalisco begun by his father in 1898. In the 1930s the group moved to Mexico City, and Vargas, along with Rubén Fuentes, became pivotal composers in the evolution of...
, joined as a violinist in 1921. From 1926 the group consisted of Gaspar Vargas - Guitarra de golpe, Manuel Mendoza - Harp, Silvestre Vargas, Trinidad Olvera and Nicolas Torres - Violins.
2nd generation (1931–1949)
In 1931 Gaspar Vargas turned the leadership of Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán over to his son, Silvestre. As the first step in his reorganization Silvestre decided to enlarge the group to eight musicians. He invited his compatriots, the Quintero brothers, Rafael and Jeronimo to join. One played a violin and the other a guitar. Later he would add another violin played by Santiago Torres. He moved Trinidad Olivera from the violin to the guitarron, although still preserving the wooden harp. It was Silvestre who possessed a dream that his group would one day be the greatest mariachi in all Mexico and he was relentless in his pursuit of fulfilling that dream. The Mariachi Vargas was something of an oddity in the early 1930s; the members were all dressed in charroCharro
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...
suits, they showed up on time for performances, and they were sober.
Mexico City
In 1933 they won first place in a Mariachi contest celebrated in GuadalajaraGuadalajara
Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...
. Then again, 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...
, in 1934, they were awarded another first place prize. President Lazaro Cardenas
Lázaro Cárdenas
Lázaro Cárdenas del Río was President of Mexico from 1934 to 1940.-Early life:Lázaro Cárdenas was born on May 21, 1895 in a lower-middle class family in the village of Jiquilpan, Michoacán. He supported his family from age 16 after the death of his father...
, who enjoyed the music of "Vargas", subsequently had the group hired as the official mariachi of the Mexico City Police Department and the group moved to Mexico City where they remained for 20 years. They provided music and entertainment for the capitol city at its parks and gardens. Beginning in 1937, the Mariachi Vargas appeared in "Asi es mi Tierra", the first of its more than 200 motion pictures. They played in many of Pedro Infante's movies as well. In that same year they recorded their first record and signed an exclusive contract with RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
.
Addition of the trumpet and violin
In 1941 they definitively integrated the trumpet into the musical interpretations of the group. Miguel MartinezMiguel Martinez
Miguel Martinez is a former New York City Council member from Council District 10 in Upper Manhattan in New York City. He was succeeded by Ydanis Rodriguez, who won election as a Democrat on November 3, 2009.-Biography:...
was the first trumpet player for Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán. He is considered the creator of the mariachi-style trumpet and the best performer, teacher and example of the instrument. In 1944, Rubén Fuentes
Rubén Fuentes
Rubén Fuentes Gassón , is a Mexican classical violinist and composer, who is best known for his contributions to Mariachi music. In 1944, he joined Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán as a violinist and later as a music arranger. In 1955 Fuentes stopped performing in the group, but he maintains his...
, a classical violinist with no background in mariachi music, was asked by Silvestre to join the group. He joined as a violinist and became music adjuster. Silvestre Vargas and Ruben Fuentas reorganized Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán and changed their image and sound. They demanded a professional presentation to overcome the unruly concept that the term "mariachis" had to the general public in those days.
3rd Generation (1950–1993)
Unifying the sound
Fuentes took complete responsibility for the group's musical direction, and enriched the evolution that for many years had conserved the primitive and unstudied qualities of mariachi. The changing sound of the Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán was redirected without the abandonment of its roots or traditions. The HuapangoHuapango
Huapango 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...
s and Sones (which were two very distinctive styles of the mariachi music) were being interpreted in many diverse and different ways. The Mariachi Vargas recorded the Sones with arrangements and adaptations as patterns for other groups. This stratagem promoted the concept that all mariachi groups could be unified to those versions by taking them as examples. The traditional songs and the original sound of the mariachi began to mature in the 1950s. It was during the recordings of the "Golden Age of the Huapangos" that the compositions, arrangements and musical direction of Rubén Fuentes, and the unequaled voice of Miguel Aceves Mejía, initiated a musical shift that would change the sound and instrumentation of the mariachi.
Revolutionary new harmony
In 1955 Rubén Fuentes stopped performing in the group. However, to date he maintains his position as producer, musical arranger and musical director, assisted during this first age by Jesus Rodriguez de Hijar and, under both, the administrative and leadership skills of Silvestre Vargas. In 1966 Rubén Fuentes wrote "La Bikina", a song that was recognized as the epitome of this Revolutionary New Harmony and sound of the mariachi. He continues to write and produce music for Mariachi Vargas that takes is an emotional roller coaster from the height of happiness to the despair of a broken heart or a lost love. As much in Mexico as in foreign countries the Sones and Huapangos acquire new directions.Mariachi conferences
In the 1970s interest in mariachi music was waning. But all that changed when San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
held its first international mariachi conference in September 1979. In 1975, Jose "Pepe" Martinez, Sr. became the musical director of Mariachi Vargas. He wrote many arrangements including "Violin Huapango" which individually showcase the different instruments and members in the group.
In 1983, the Mariachi Vargas appeared for the first time at the Tucson International Mariachi Conference. A new movement began to grow and many other conferences began to develop. The Mariachi Vargas was often chosen as the headline performer.
Linda Ronstadt
In 1986, Linda RonstadtLinda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
appeared with the Mariachi Vargas at the Tucson International Mariachi Conference where she sang publicly in Spanish for the first time. In 1987 she released her "Canciones de mi Padre" album featuring Mariachi Vargas which won her a Grammy award for the album. She also went on a national tour with the group, giving greater international exposure to mariachi music than ever before and creating a new audience for mariachi music among non-Hispanics.
Classical mariachi
In 1989, the Mariachi Vargas released their "En Concierto" CD featuring some of the greatest renderings of classical music ever played by a mariachi group. They also accompanied Lucero in the 1990s as she rose in the ranks of contemporary musical stardom. The Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán initiated a series of solo recordings: Sones, Valses, Pasos Dobles, Bailes Regionales, Polkas, Clasico e International, etc. They have added more than 50 recordings of mariachi music interpreted by what has become "The Best Mariachi in the World."4th generation (1994–2002)
It is known by all mariachi lovers that this generation was the most talented group of musicians performing since 100 years of their foundation. In their album "La fiesta del Mariachi", Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, fourth generation, the group integrates to make a tribute to Jose "Pepe" Martinez, who besides his magnificent musical arrangements and direction of the group, inspired many as a composer. Their recordings on Polygram with this generation include are, "El Mariachi Vargas", "En Concierto", "Los sones Reyes", "La fiesta del Mariachi" and "50 anniversary of Rubén Fuentes". Rubén Fuentes's arrangements and music with the Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán are the first five recordings for the one-hundredth anniversary of the foundation of "Vargas" in 1997.5th generation (2003–present)
In 2003 Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán began its fifth generation. Their latest recordings are, "5ta Generacion", "Sinfonico I", "Sinfonico II", and "Penas, Desengaños... Y Amores". Today the group is composed of two harps, one vihuela, one guitar, one guitarron, three trumpets and six violins. With the added instruments, a new sound has emerged that crosses all international borders. The music they play now ranges from the traditional sones to classical works as well as popurris that continue to delight audiences everywhere. In the 100 years since its foundation, the group has gone through some major changes. While there has been some departure from the tradition during that time, the group has maintained its roots through the playing of traditional Mexican sones. In 1997, "Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán" celebrated its first One Hundred years of foundation.Discography
From 1937 until now (2009), the Mariachi Vargas has produced over 50 recordings, whose contents are Huastecos sones, waltzes, popurris, polkas, huapango, cumbias, among others.- Mariachi *Colección Original (BMG Latin, 1999) –This is a recording recompilation made while 1958–1968 -.
- Lo Mejor de lo Mejor (BMG Latin, 2000) –This is a recording recopilation made made while 1958–1967 -.
- Tradicionales de México Lindo Y Querido (LIDERES, 2001).
- Sinfónico With Orquesta Filarmónica del Estado de Querétaro (2001) –Directed by Master José Guadalupe Flórez-.
- 5ta. Generación (2002).
- Sinfónico II With Orquesta Filarmónica del Estado de Querétaro (2002) Directed by Master José Guadalupe Flórez-.
- Penas, Desengaños Y Amores (2004).
- Y aquí estamos (2008).
It has also been interpreted in several albums with artists like Luis Miguel, Juan Gabriel, among others.
Trivia
Enrique Santiago is first cousin to Mexican comedienne Cessy CasanovaCessy Casanova
Cecilia Santiago , better known as Cessy Casanova, is a Mexican comedienne and singer. She is the daughter of former Vargas de Tecalitlán guitarron player Natividad Santiago, and the sister of the band's current guitarron player, Marco Antonio Santiago...
; her father was Natividad Santiago, who played guitarron with the band from 1959 until 1989.