The Magic of the Cities.

Zen promotes the rediscovery of the obvious, which is so often lost in its familiarity and simplicity. It sees the miraculous in the common and magic in our everyday surroundings. When we are not rushed, and our minds are unclouded by conceptualizations, a veil will sometimes drop, introducing the viewer to a world unseen since childhood. ~ John Greer

Monday, February 21, 2011

Mariachis


Mariachis in Cuernavaca
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Western 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 made a global impact during 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.
The term "Mariachi" is said to be an adaptation of the French word for marriage or wedding "mariage" as this type of musical formation used to play at such events.

Although mariachis are hired to play at events such as weddings and other formal occasions, such as a quinceañera (a girl's fifteenth birthday celebration), they are very often used to serenade women because many of the songs in a typical repertoire have as a theme the desire to touch the heart of a woman. Trios of mariachis can be found for hire in different places at night (the best known venues are Plaza de los Mariachis in Guadalajara and Plaza Garibaldi in Mexico City) for the purposes of serenading. Hiring prices can vary immensely and are normally not cheap.

music+image

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8 comments:

Siddhartha Joshi said...

Very interesting post, and the first picture is really good! I do not actually understand what these guys actually do for a living...play music at occasions?

Luis Gomez said...

Excelente post! Gracias por la informacion Carraol. Las imagenes estupendas como siempre. Ciertamente nada mas hermoso que una serenata de Mariachis.

joo said...

I love the photos,and would love to hear the music played by these guys:)

alfonso said...


· Excelente serie. Una calidad de procesado en el B/N realmente asombrosa.

· Saludos

CR & LMA
________________________________
·

Unknown said...

canta y no llores... yeah!

Lúcia said...

Nice shots, perfect in BW!
It was so cool to learn more about Mariachis, listening to the music!
Mexican culture is so interesting!
Saludos. ;-)

Balaphoto said...

Fantastic shots!! Salut!!

Francesc, Barcelona

http://balapertotarreu.blogspot.com

Carolyn Ford said...

We enjoy Mariachis' very often and it is nice to know about the origin of their music...great post Carroll!