Mariachi: The sound and feel of Mexico

Mariachi: The sound and feel of Mexico

By David Eyerly

JAKARTA (JP): The trumpet pierces the air sharp and strong.
Soon guitars, basses and violins join in and the music picks up.

The beat is forceful and impossible to resist -- feet start
tapping and heads bobbing. The music sweeps up everything into a
swirl of pure exhilaration and joy; it and everything it touches
become vividly alive. Then it stops. There is silence, which is
broken by the plaintive cry of the trumpet, a heartbreaking sound
that speaks of sorrow and hardship.

These are the two sides of mariachi, the music that expresses
the heart and soul of Mexico. The songs played by mariachi bands
tell stories about the people of Mexico, according to Jose
Naranjo, the leader of the mariachi band and cultural troupe
performing at the Regent Hotel in Jakarta.

Love and death and everything in between are the subjects of
the songs; the only constant is that all the songs tell the story
of Mexico and its people.

And that is what Naranjo and his Mexican Mariachis and La
Compania Estatal de Danza want to do; share the culture of Mexico
with the people of Indonesia. So for the third straight year they
traveled from the State of Aguascalientes, about five hours to
the north of Mexico City, to give the people here an
understanding of Mexico that they can't get from the telenovelas
(Latin soaps) that make up the majority of contact Indonesians
have with the country.

The mariachi band and cultural troupe, besides performing at
the Regent, are also putting on performances and giving talks in
shopping malls, elementary schools and at Trisakti University and
the Jakarta Arts Institute, meeting with people and giving them
small lessons in the history and culture of Mexico.

In his three visits to Indonesia, Naranjo has noticed the
differences as well as the similarities between the art of Mexico
and Indonesia.

"The music and dance of Mexico is typically bold, with strong
moves and steps, while traditional Indonesian music and dance is
softer and smoother," he said.

One of the similarities Naranjo noted about Mexican and
Indonesian arts is the use of vibrant colors in painting, in
traditional costumes and textiles from the two countries.

What is mariachi?

Mariachi bands include violins, guitars, a guitarron (a large
bass guitar-like instrument) basses, a vihuela (a five-stringed
guitar) and trumpets. Typically, the bands include nine to 12
members, with the mariachi band at the Regent featuring 12
members.

The standard attire for a mariachi band is the charro, which
basically consists of a sombrero, a large bow tie, short jacket,
boots and pants with silver studs running up the sides of the
legs.

More often than not, when you find a mariachi band you will
also find dancers. Once you hear the music you will understand
why this is, because it just begs to be danced to. Traditional
dance from around Mexico are often associated with mariachi
music, and you get a taste of this from the cultural troupe at
the Regent, which includes seven female and seven male dancers
performing different traditional dances from their homeland.

Unlike traditional music in many countries which is only
played at certain ceremonies or for busloads of tourist, mariachi
remains an important part of the daily lives of Mexicans.

"Mariachi is for everything, parties, special events,
ceremonies, gatherings," Naranjo said.

It is also a feature of many restaurants and bars, where
people go to watch mariachi bands like they go to watch rock
bands in other countries. Naranjo also said many pop musicians in
Mexico and southwestern U.S. states like Texas and California use
mariachi bands in their music.

Mariachi music has clearly maintained its immense popularity
in Mexico and in U.S. states with large Mexican populations. And
now it is making inroads around the world, something that Naranjo
and his group are certainly helping. Last year the group
performed in France, the U.S. and around Mexico, besides the time
they spent in Jakarta and other parts of Asia. From here they
will bring the soul of Mexico to Singapore and Hong Kong.

You can catch their performances at lunch and dinne at the
Regent Hotel until Sept. 16.